btw:
de·fence Audio pronunciation of "defence" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (d-fns)
n. & v. Chiefly British
Variant of defense.
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Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Main Entry: de·fense
Variant: or chiefly British de·fence /di-'fen(t)s/
Function: noun
: a means or method of protecting the physical or functional integrity of body or mind <ability to concentrate urine may be interpreted as a renal defense of body volume fluid —Jack Metcoff>
Source: Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
defence
n 1: (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires [syn: defense mechanism, defense reaction, defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense] 2: (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring; "his teams are always good on defense" [syn: defense, defending team] [ant: offense] 3: the defendant and his legal advisors collectively; "the defense called for a mistrial" [syn: defense, defense team, defense lawyers] [ant: prosecution] 4: an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack; "he joined the defense against invasion" [syn: defense, defense force, defence force] 5: the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions; "his refutation of the charges was short and persuasive"; "in defense he said the other man started it" [syn: refutation, defense] 6: the justification for some act or belief; "he offered a persuasive defense of the theory" [syn: defense, vindication] 7: a structure used for defense; "the artillery battered down the defenses" [syn: defensive structure, defense] 8: a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him; "he gave evidence for the defense" [syn: defense, denial, demurrer] [ant: prosecution] 9: military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies; "they died in the defense of Stalingrad"; "they were developed for the defense program" [syn: defense, defensive measure] 10: protection from harm; "sanitation is the best defense against disease" [syn: defense]
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