defender

Meanings

1. Someone who defends people or property.
2. One of the players whose primary task is to prevent the opposition from scoring.
3. A fighter who seeks to repel an attack.
4. A lawyer who represents defendants, especially a public defender; a defense attorney (US) or defence counsel (UK).
5. A defendant in a civil action.

Etymology

From Middle English defender, deffender, defendere, defendour, defendoure, partly from Anglo-Norman defendour, from Old French defendëor; partly from Middle English defenden + -ere, equivalent to defend + -er.