Other forms: defenders
A defender is somebody who protects, or a player whose job is stopping the other side scoring. A staunch defender, four defenders, the defender cleared it.
In football the defenders are the back line, and centre-back and full-back are the positions. Figuratively, a defender is somebody who publicly supports a person or idea under attack: a defender of free speech. Defender of the Faith is a title held by the British monarch. Note defend, defence, defensive; and that in a court the defender is a Scottish legal term for the person being sued.
1noundefenderA player whose job is stopping the other side scoring.
“The defender cleared it off the line in about the ninetieth minute.”
2nounpubliclySomebody who publicly supports a person or idea.
“She was a passionate defender of women's rights all her life.”
defender is a protector or player.
Latin defendere means to ward off — de- plus fendere, to strike, the same fendere inside offend. Defending and offending are the same striking in opposite directions.
Old French
defendëor
Anglo-Norman
defendour
Middle English
defender
English, today
defender
From Middle English defender, deffender, defendere, defendour, defendoure, partly from Anglo-Norman defendour, from Old French defendëor; partly from Middle English defenden + -ere, equivalent to defend + -er.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA