Webster's English Dictionary

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defeat

Cross references:
  1. conquer               
 
1. de.feat \di-'fe-t\ vt [ME deffeten, fr. MF deffait, pp. or deffaire to 
   destroy, fr.] ML disfacere, fr. L dis- + facere to do - more at DO archaic  
   1: DESTROY  2a: NULLIFY {~ an estate}  2b: FRUSTRATE {~ a hope}  3: to win 
   victory over : BEAT 
2. defeat n archaic  1: DESTRUCTION  2: frustration by prevention of 
   success  3: an overthrow esp. of an army : loss of a contest