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defender
noun
de·fend·er
di-ˈfen-dər
Synonyms
Examples of defender in a Sentence
one of the traditional roles of an older brother is that of schoolyard defender
Recent Examples on the Web
The Etihad Stadium club have been busy so far in January, having reached an agreement with Lens to sign defender Abdukodir Khusanov and a separate deal with Palmeiras to purchase Vitor Reis.
—David Ornstein, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
Johnson is also a good defender, giving the Timberwolves more wing depth to use within the loaded West.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
Running back Joe Mixon has been greeted behind a defender in more than half of his rushing attempts, per Next Gen Stats.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 18 Jan. 2025
Despite Anunoby’s reputation as the Knicks’ premier defender, the responsibility of guarding the opposing team’s best scorer often falls on Bridges’ shoulders.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English defendour, defender, borrowed from Anglo-French defendour, defendur, from defend-, stem of defendre "to defend" + -our, -ur -or entry 1
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of defender was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing defender
Dictionary Entries Near defender
Cite this Entry
“Defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defender. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
defender
noun
de·fend·er
-ˈfen-dər
1
: one that defends
2
: a player in a sport (as football) who plays a defensive position
Legal Definition
defender
noun
de·fend·er
: a lawyer who represents defendants
especially
: public defender
More from Merriam-Webster on defender
Nglish: Translation of defender for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of defender for Arabic Speakers
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