Webster's English Dictionary

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defend

Cross references:
  1. maintain              
 
de.fend \di-'fend\ vb [ME defenden, fr. OF defendre, fr. L defendere, fr. 
   de-] + -fendere to strike; akin to OE gu-th battle, war, Gk theinein to 
   strike archaic  1: PREVENT  2: to drive danger or attack away from  3: to 
   act as attorney for  4: to deny or oppose the right of a plaintiff in 
   regard to (a suit or a wr ong charged) : to take action against attack or 
   challenge  implies warding off what immediately threatens or repelling what 
   actually attacks; PROTECT is wider in application and less active in 
   suggestion, implying a keeping safe by any means from injury or 
   destruction; SHIELD suggests the interposition of a cover or barrier 
   against imminent and specific danger; GUARD implies protecting with 
   vigilance and force against expected danger; SAFEGUARD implies taking 
   precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger - 
   de.fend.er n SYN syn PROTECT, SHIELD, GUARD, SAFEGUARD: DEFEND