n.
1.(sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring
2.military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies
3.the defendant and his legal advisors collectively
4.protection from harm
5.a structure used for defense
6.the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions
7.the justification for some act or belief
8.a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him
9.an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack 10.the federal department responsible for safeguarding national security of the UnitedStates 11.(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
