Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for defenseman. Search instead for defense plant.

defenseman

American  
[dih-fens-muhn, -man] / dɪˈfɛns mən, -ˌmæn /

noun

Sports.
defensemen plural
  1. a player in certain games, as ice hockey or lacrosse, who lines up in a defensive zone or position.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of defenseman

First recorded in 1890–95; defense + man

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

So would forward Ryan Poehling, who has been cleared after incurring a concussion from an illegal hit by Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb, who was suspended for a game.

From Los Angeles Times May 21, 2026

A shot from Colton Sissons on the right wing ricocheted off Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba and went straight to Marner, who was charging into the slot.

From Los Angeles Times May 9, 2026

Nor does the Minnesota Wild defenseman hit the hardest or knock out the most teeth.

From The Wall Street Journal May 3, 2026

Skating as much as Hughes does exacts a brutal toll, which is why it often looks like the Minnesota defenseman has an on/off switch.

From The Wall Street Journal May 3, 2026

He stops and circles, eluding the Vancouver defenseman February 15.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Though it isn’t uncommon for defensemen to log the longest minutes, Hughes’s ice time is the most of any player in the past decade.

From The Wall Street Journal May 3, 2026

An injury had forced him to withdraw from the hotly anticipated 4 Nations Face-Off, meaning one of the NHL’s top defensemen would have to watch Team USA battle the best teams in hockey without him.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 19, 2026

Yet asked in his postgame press conference if he regretted how he used his defensemen, Hiller was curt.

From Los Angeles Times May 2, 2025

Hyman scored less than seven minutes into the game after a giveaway by defensemen Drew Doughty made it possible.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 27, 2024

Medicine Hat defensemen February 9 and February 14 dive to block the puck while January 10 looks on helplessly.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training