▪ I. defend, v.
(dɪˈfɛnd)
Also 3–6 defende, 4–6 diffend(e, deffend(e, 5–6 dyffende; 5 pa. tense and pple. defend(e, deffende.
[ME. a. OF. defend-re (11th c.) = Pr. defendre, Sp. defender, It. difendere:—L. dēfend-ĕre to ward off, defend, protect, etc., f. de- I. 2 + fendĕre (obs. exc. in compounds).
The primary sense in Latin was (I.) to ward off (attack, danger, evil) from a person or thing. Hence, by exchange of objects, came (II.) To guard (the person or thing) from the attack or evil. (Cf. to keep harm off a person, and to keep a person from harm.) By a Romanic extension of I, the sense ward off passed into prohibit, forbid (I. 3). Branch I is obsolete in Eng. exc. as retained in legal phraseology (III.); but the latter has also uses from II.]
I. To ward off, avert, repel, restrain, prevent; with its extension, To prohibit. (Obs. exc. as in III.)
† 1. To ward off, keep off (an assailant, attack, etc.); to repel, avert (lit. and fig.). Obs. or dial.
| c 1314 Guy Warw. (A.) 3046 Ich the defende sikerly. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 101 If þat þou myȝtist nouȝt defende þe crampe. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. lxi. 45, I ne had myght ne power hym to defende fro me. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) U iij b, Venim is defended by the horne of an vnicorne, by triacle. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 17 To withstand and defend his enimyes. 1580 J. Frampton Monardes' Dial. Yron 142 b, The houses are made of boordes, to defende the great colde. 1609 Blundevil Dieting of Horses 11 Horses..would be housed in Summer season with canuas to defend the flies. 1636 Denham Destr. Troy 431 And, with their shields on their left arms, defend Arrows and darts. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §300 Men..with staves in their hands, who could..have defended it from the wall. 1808 Jamieson, Defend, to ward off. [In north of Scotl.] they commonly speak of ‘defending a stroke’. |
† 2. To keep (from doing something), to prevent, hinder. Obs.
| c 1320 Seuyn Sag. 667 (W.) Themperour saide, ‘God the defende Fram god dai and fram god ende!’ c 1400 Test. Love iii. (1560) 295/1 No love to be defended from the will of loving. c 1450 Merlin 29 Let vs diffende the kynge, that he se hym not quyk. 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. III. 1262/2 Which walles greatlie defended the fire from spreading further. 1660 R. Coke Power & Subj. 196 Trees..planted to defend the force of the wind from hurting of the Church. |
† b. with negative clause.
| c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 95 Þis oynement is myche worþ for to defende þat þe malise of þe cancre schal not wexen. 1586 Cogan Haven Health Ep. Ded., It keepeth the body from corruption and defendeth that natural moisture be not lightly dissolved and consumed. |
† c. To restrain; refl. to keep oneself, refrain.
| a 1325 Prose Psalter xxxix. [xl.] 12 Lord, y ne shal nouȝt defenden myn lippes. a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxviii. 101 Ffra all ill way .i. defendid my fete. c 1400 Rom. Rose 5800 If they hem yeve to goodnesse, Defendyng hem from ydelnesse. |
† 3. To prohibit, forbid. Obs. exc. dial. a. with simple obj. (with or without personal indirect (dative) obj.).
| a 1300 Cursor M. 21764 (Cott.) Þe tre þat was defend. c 1340 Ibid. 27314 (Fairf.), I defende þe hit. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xv. 19 Is noyther peter þe porter, ne poule with his fauchoune, Þat wil defende me þe dore. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶532 Al þis þing is defended by god and holy chirche. 1474 Caxton Chesse 17 Hit was defended vpon payn of deth. 1549 Compl. Scot. 140 The ciuil lauis deffendis and forbiddis al monopoles and conuentions of the comont pepil. 1616 B. Jonson Devil an Ass i. iv, I doe defend 'hem any thing like action. 1671 Milton P.R. ii. 368 No interdict Defends the touching of these viands pure. a 1698 Temple Ess. Cure Gout Wks. 1731 I. 146 The Use of it pure being so little practised, and in some Places defended by Customs or Laws. |
† b. with infin. (usually preceded by personal obj.).
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 303 Þe pape me defendes..To renne on þo landes. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxv. 120 He defendeth no man to holde no law other þan him lyketh. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 14/2 He defended to paye the trewage. 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) I. xliii, It is defendit be our lawis, to sla ony salmond fra the viii day of September to the xv day of Novembre. 1604 E. G. D'Acosta's Hist. Indies v. xxvii. 409 It was defended vpon paine of death, not to marry againe together. |
† c. with obj. clause (with or without personal obj.); usually with pleonastic negative.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 12614 He comaundes þe, & defendes, þat þou of ffraunce nought entremet. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 81 He defended her in payne of her lyff she shulde no more come there. c 1530 Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. 164 The other knightes wolde have fought with Arthur; but theyr mayster defended them the contrary. Ibid. 281. 1577 Fenton Gold. Epist. 220 It was defended that none shoulde doe sacrifice in the temple of Minerua. 1660 Stillingfl. Iren. ii. viii. §2 Whether..it be defended by Gods Law, that he and they should preche. |
† d. ellipt. with personal obj. only; also absol.
| c 1325 Coer de L. 1477 Thus deffendes Modard the kyng. 1382 Wyclif Num. xi. 28 My Lord, Moyses, defend hem. 1382 ― Judg. xv. 1 And whanne he wold goo..as he was wont, the fadir of hir defendide hym. |
† e. a person from doing something.
| a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon l. 167 Eue was dyffendyd fro y⊇ etinge of fruyte. 1672 Wycherley Love in Wood iii. ii, To..put you to bed to Lucy and defend you from touching her. 1864 N. & Q. 3rd Ser. V. 296/1 A few years ago I heard a governess [in Nottinghamshire] say to a round-backed pupil, ‘I defend you from sitting in easy chairs’. |
¶ In God defend = ‘God forbid’, the senses ‘prohibit’ (3) and ‘avert’ (1) seem to unite.
| 1389 Eng. Gilds 4 Ȝif it be so þ{supt} eny debat chaunselich falle among eny of hem, þ{supt} god defende. 1425 Paston Lett. No. 5 I. 19 God defende that any of my saide kyn shuld be of swyche governaunce. 1552 T. Barnabe in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. II. 202 Yf so be yt that we shoulde warre with them, (as God defende). 1599 Shakes. Much Ado ii. i. 98 God defend the Lute should be like the case. 1663 Pepys Diary 31 Oct., The plague is much in Amsterdam, and we in fears of it here, which God defend. 1695 Congreve Love for L. ii. i, Marry, Heaven defend!—I at midnight practices! |
II. To guard from attack, etc.; to protect, vindicate.
4. trans. To ward off attack from; to fight for the safety of; to keep safe from assault or injury; to protect, guard.
| c 1250 Old Kentish Serm. in O.E. Misc. 28 Mirre..is biter, and be þo biternesse defendet þet Cors þet is mide i-smered þet no werm nel comme i-hende. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 173 Fyȝteþ vor ȝure kunde, and defendeþ ȝoure ryȝte. 1393 Gower Conf. III. 208 She, which wolde her lond defende. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xviii. i. (1495) 739 Smalle beestys that lacke sharpe teeth and clawes and hornes ben deffendyd wyth ablynesse of membres. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) ix. 33 Armour hafe þai nane to defend þam with. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 2034 That he had ofte here landis deffende. 1549–62 Sternhold & H. Ps., Prayer 395 From Turke and Pope defend vs Lord. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 515 Trees..defended and clad with thick leaued branches. 1700 S. L. tr. Fryke's Voy. E. India 108 One of the Buffels defended himself very well of the first Dog that came at him. c 1750 in ‘Bat’ Crick. Man. (1850) 30 It [cricket] is performed by a person, who, with a clumsy wooden bat, defends a wicket. 1874 Green Short Hist. ii. §7. 98 The citizens swore to defend the King with money and blood. |
b. absol. (for refl.) To make defence.
| a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon xlix. 164 Yf he come and assayle me I shall defende as well as I can. 1548 Hall Chron. 50 Some strake, some defended. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 657 Others from the Wall defend. |
† c. To ‘fence’ a court: see fence v. 8. Obs.
| 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 115 Item, after the Court be affirmed, and defended, na man aught to speik..bot they ilke parties, and their forespeakers, and their counsell. |
5. To support or uphold by speech or argument, maintain, vindicate; to speak or write in favour of (a person or thing attacked).
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 5359 In nathyng may þai be excused þan;..þai may defende þam be na ways. 1395 W. Dynet Oath of Recantn. in Academy 17 Nov. (1883) 331/1 Þat I..ne defende [no] conclusions ne techynges of the lollardes. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 856 Þe bischop þe clerkes malyce kende, Bot nouthir party he defende. 1512 Act 4 Hen. VIII, c. 19 Preamble, Erronyously defendyng & maynteynyng his seid obstynate opynyons. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 29 b, Whose lyfe and doctrine I did not undertake to defende. 1708 J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. iii. xi. (1743) 280 That he defend three questions in Natural Philosophy. 1782 Priestley Corrupt. Chr. I. ii. 235, I am far from pretending..to defend this passage of Irenæus. 1874 Morley Compromise (1886) 2 Are we only to be permitted to defend general principles? |
† b. with obj. clause: To maintain (a statement impugned); to contend. Obs.
| c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xxvi. 546 Here ben our gages, how that we will defende that our fader slew never foulques of moryllon by treyson. 1541 Barnes Wks. (1573) 357/2 Their Masse..whiche our Papistes so wickedly defende to bee a sacrifice. 1580 North Plutarch (1676) 9 Others to the contrary defended it was not so. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 25 But that these [animals] can be properly called Asses, no man can defend. c 1620 A. Hume Brit. Tongue 21 This [vowel] sum defend not to be idle. |
III. Law. (Originally belonging to I, but also with uses from II.)
6. a. Of the defendant: To deny, repel, oppose (the plaintiff's plea, the action raised against him); absol. To enter or make defence. b. To vindicate (himself or his cause). c. Of a legal agent: To take legal measures to vindicate; to appear, address the court, etc. in defence of (the accused).
| [c 1200 Select Pleas of Crown (1888), Petrus venit et totum defendit de verbo in verbum. c 1222 Bracton's Note-bk. I. 250 Et Alicia venit et defendit ius eorum.] 1428 Surtees Misc. (1890) 5 Seand þat he myght..deny nor defend this mater na langer, he knawleged and graunted his trespas. 1484 Caxton Fables of Alfonce (1889) 3 After that the cause had be wel deffended and pleted by bothe partyes. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. iv. xx. (1634) 742 The right use [of law is] both for the plaintife to sue, and for the defendant to defend. 1768 Blackstone Comm. III. 296/7. 1883 J. Hawthorne Dust xxxvii. 306 A letter announcing that the defendants in the case of Desmoines v. Lancaster declined to defend. 1891 Law Rep. Weekly Notes 201/2 A solicitor to a trust has authority to defend legal proceedings, though not to initiate them. Mod. The prisoners were defended by Mr. L. On his trial he defended himself (or conducted his own defence) with great ability. |
▪ II. † deˈfend, n. Sc. Obs. rare.
[f. defend v.]
Defence.
| c 1450 Henryson Mor. Fab. 69 Sir..made I not fair defend? c 1470 Henry Wallace x. 1154 Sum men tharfor agaynys makis defend. |