n. A joint defendant. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Defended; p. pr. & vb. n. Defending. ] [ F. défendre, L. defendere; de- + fendere (only in comp.) to strike; perh. akin to Gr. qei`nein to strike, and E. dint. Cf. Dint, Defense, Fend. ] 1. To ward or fend off; to drive back or away; to repel. [ A Latinism & Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Th' other strove for to defend
The force of Vulcan with his might and main. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To prohibit; to forbid. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Which God defend that I should wring from him. Shak.

3. To repel danger or harm from; to protect; to secure against attack; to maintain against force or argument; to uphold; to guard; as, to defend a town; to defend a cause; to defend character; to defend the absent; -- sometimes followed by from or against; as, to defend one's self from, or against, one's enemies. [ 1913 Webster ]

The lord mayor craves aid . . . to defend the city. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

God defend the right! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

A village near it was defended by the river. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law.) To deny the right of the plaintiff in regard to (the suit, or the wrong charged); to oppose or resist, as a claim at law; to contest, as a suit. Burrill.

Syn. -- To Defend, Protect. To defend is literally to ward off; to protect is to cover so as to secure against approaching danger. We defend those who are attacked; we protect those who are liable to injury or invasion. A fortress is defended by its guns, and protected by its wall. [ 1913 Webster ]

As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it. Is. xxxi. 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

Leave not the faithful side
That gave thee being, still shades thee and protects. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. défendable. ] Capable of being defended; defensible. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. défendant, p. pr. of défendre. See Defend. ] 1. Serving, or suitable, for defense; defensive. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

With men of courage and with means defendant. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Making defense. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who defends; a defender. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rampiers and ditches which the defendants had cast up. Spotswood. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) A person required to make answer in an action or suit; -- opposed to plaintiff. Abbott. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term is applied to any party of whom a demand is made in court, whether the party denies and defends the claim, or admits it, and suffers a default; also to a party charged with a criminal offense. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who is defended. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Fender. ] One who defends; one who maintains, supports, protects, or vindicates; a champion; an advocate; a vindicator. [ 1913 Webster ]

Provinces . . . left without their ancient and puissant defenders. Motley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female defender. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Defendress of the faith. Stow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n., [ Turk. efendi, fr. Modern Gr. &unr_;, fr. Gr. &unr_; a chief. See Authentic. ] Master; sir; -- a Turkish title of respect, applied esp. to a state official or man of learning, as one learned in the law, but often simply as the courtesy title of a gentleman. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A fiend. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Fended; p. pr. & vb. n. Fending. ] [ Abbrev. fr. defend. ] To keep off; to prevent from entering or hitting; to ward off; to shut out; -- often with off; as, to fend off blows. [ 1913 Webster ]

With fern beneath to fend the bitter cold. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

To fend off a boat or
To fend off a vessel (Naut.), to prevent its running against anything with too much violence. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To act on the defensive, or in opposition; to resist; to parry; to shift off. [ 1913 Webster ]

The dexterous management of terms, and being able to fend . . . with them, passes for a great part of learning. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Fend, v. t. & i., cf. Defender. ] One who or that which defends or protects by warding off harm; as: (a) A screen to prevent coals or sparks of an open fire from escaping to the floor. (b) Anything serving as a cushion to lessen the shock when a vessel comes in contact with another vessel or a wharf. (c) A screen to protect a carriage from mud thrown off the wheels: also, a splashboard. (d) Anything set up to protect an exposed angle, as of a house, from damage by carriage wheels. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Fiendlike. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ OE. forfenden; pref. for- + fenden to fend. See Fend, v. t. ] To hinder; to fend off; to avert; to prevent the approach of; to forbid or prohibit. See Forfend. [ 1913 Webster ]

God forefend it should ever be recorded in our history. Landor. [ 1913 Webster ]

It would be a far better work . . . to forefend the cruelty. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. for- + fend. See Forewend. ] To prohibit; to forbid; to avert. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Which peril heaven forefend! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This is etymologically the preferable spelling. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ OE. halfendele. See Half, and Deal. ] Half; by the half part. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. -- n. A half part. [ Obs. ] R. of Brunne. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Offended; p. pr. & vb. n. Offending. ] [ OF. offendre, L. offendere, offensum; ob (see Ob-) + fendere (in comp.) to thrust, dash. See Defend. ] 1. To strike against; to attack; to assail. [ Obs. ] Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To displease; to make angry; to affront. [ 1913 Webster ]

A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city. Prov. xviii. 19. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To be offensive to; to harm; to pain; to annoy; as, strong light offends the eye; to offend the conscience. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To transgress; to violate; to sin against. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Marry, sir, he hath offended the law. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Script.) To oppose or obstruct in duty; to cause to stumble; to cause to sin or to fall. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Who hath you misboden or offended. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out . . . And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off. Matt. v. 29, 3O. [ 1913 Webster ]

Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. Ps. cxix. 165. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To transgress the moral or divine law; to commit a crime; to stumble; to sin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. James ii. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

If it be a sin to covet honor,
I am the most offending soul alive. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cause dislike, anger, or vexation; to displease. [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall offend, either to detain or give it. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To offend against, to do an injury or wrong to; to commit an offense against. “We have offended against the Lord already.” 2 Chron. xxviii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An offender. [ R. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who offends; one who violates any law, divine or human; a wrongdoer. [ 1913 Webster ]

I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. 1 Kings i. 21. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who offends. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ See 2d Reis, and Effendi. ] A title formerly given to one of the chief Turkish officers of state. He was chancellor of the empire, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To defend from the weather; to shelter. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ We ] barked the white spruce to weather-fend the roof. Emerson. [ 1913 Webster ]