defence

[dih-fens]

noun, verb (used with object), de·fenced, de·fenc·ing. Chiefly British.

Related formsde·fence·a·ble, adjectivede·fence·less, adjectivede·fence·less·ly, adverbde·fence·less·ness, nounpre·de·fence, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for defenceless

Contemporary Examples of defenceless

The “find and operate” missions that followed were directed at the most vulnerable and defenceless individuals in the country.
Hold Onto Your Penis
David Frum, Justin Green
November 29, 2012

Historical Examples of defenceless

This poor queen is defenceless, because her civilization is dead, too.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
None but cowards will insult and taunt the defeated and defenceless.
The Works of Whittier, Volume VII (of VII)
John Greenleaf Whittier
I know, of course, that he had killed a poor, defenceless old woman.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
Never had greater want and misery fallen on defenceless creatures.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
The acrobatics which he performed with that defenceless consonant were marvelous.
Kent Knowles: Quahaug
Joseph C. Lincoln

British Dictionary definitions for defenceless

defence

US defense

noun

resistance against danger, attack, or harm; protection

a person or thing that provides such resistance

a plea, essay, speech, etc, in support of something; vindication; justification

a country's military measures or resources
(as modifier)defence spending

law a defendant's denial of the truth of the allegations or charge against him

law the defendant and his legal advisers collectivelyCompare prosecution

sport

the action of protecting oneself, one's goal, or one's allotted part of the playing area against an opponent's attacks
the method of doing this
the defencethe players in a team whose function is to do this

American football (usually preceded by the)

the team that does not have possession of the ball
the members of a team that play in such circumstances

psychoanal See defence mechanism

(plural) fortifications

Derived Formsdefenceless or US defenseless, adjectivedefencelessly or US defenselessly, adverbdefencelessness or US defenselessness, noun

Word Origin for defence

C13: from Old French, from Late Latin dēfensum, past participle of dēfendere to defend

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for defenceless

defence

see defense.