c. 1300, "forbidding, prohibition," also "action of guarding or protecting," from Old French defense, from Latin defensus, past participle of defendere "ward off, protect" (see defend). But it also arrived (without the final -e) from Old French defens, from Latin defensum "thing protected or forbidden," neuter past participle of defendere.
Defens was assimilated into defense, but not before it inspired the alternative spelling defence, via the same tendency that produced hence (hennis), pence (penies), dunce (Duns). First used 1935 as a euphemism for "national military resources." Defense mechanism in psychology is from 1913.
雙語例句
1. The prosecution and defense were bandying accusations back and forth.
原告和被告你來我往，互相指責。
來自柯林斯例句
2. NATO defense ministers wrap up their meeting in Brussels today.
北約各國國防部長今天圓滿結束了在布魯塞爾的會議。
來自柯林斯例句
3. Their defense markets are too small to sustain economically viable production runs.
他們的國防市場太小，就經濟可行性而言不足以維持生產。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Twenty eight percent of the federal budget is spent on defense.
28%的聯邦預算用于國防。
來自柯林斯例句
5. Issues of national defense have been the undoing of Democratic candidates.