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