noun
defender
dih-FEHN-duh
noun
1
A person who protects someone or something, or who argues in support of it.
"She became a passionate defender of workers' rights."
2
In team sports, a player whose main job is stopping the other team from scoring.
"The defender cleared the ball off the line at the last second."
3
A lawyer who represents people accused of crimes, especially a public defender.
"A public defender was appointed since he could not afford one."
Word Forms
defenders plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “defender”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She became a passionate _____ of workers' rights.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman defendour, or from Middle English defenden + -ere, following the pattern of "defend" + "-er."