*fens*

n. [ L. defensare, defensatum, to defend diligently, intens. of defendere. See Defend. ] That which serves to protect or defend.

v. t. To furnish with defenses; to fortify. [ Obs. ] [ Written also defence. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Better manned and more strongly defensed. Hales. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Destitute of defense; unprepared to resist attack; unable to oppose; unprotected. [ Also spelled defenceless. ]-- De*fense"less*ly, adv. -- De*fense"less*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. unarmed; used of persons or the military. armed [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. F. défenseur, L. defensor. Cf. Defensor. ] Defender. [ Obs. ] Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Capability of being defended. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. défensable, LL. defensabilis, defensibilis. See Defense, and cf. Defendable. ] 1. Capable of being defended; as, a defensible city, or a defensible cause. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Capable of offering defense. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Capability of being defended; defensibility. Priestley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. défensif. ] 1. Serving to defend or protect; proper for defense; opposed to offensive; as, defensive armor. [ 1913 Webster ]

A moat defensive to a house. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Carried on by resisting attack or aggression; -- opposed to offensive; as, defensive war. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. In a state or posture of defense. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. That which defends; a safeguard. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wars preventive, upon just fears, are true defensives. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

To be on the defensive,
To stand on the defensive, to be or stand in a state or posture of defense or resistance, in opposition to aggression or attack. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. On the defensive. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. See Defenser. ] 1. A defender. Fabyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) A defender or an advocate in court; a guardian or protector. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Eccl.) The patron of a church; an officer having charge of the temporal affairs of a church. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. defensorius. ] Tending to defend; defensive; as, defensory preparations. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Fencible. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of not being defensible. Walsh. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Pref. in- not + defensible: cf. OF. indefensible, indefensable. ] Not defensible; not capable of being defended, maintained, vindicated, or justified; unjustifiable; untenable; as, an indefensible fortress, position, cause, statement, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men find that something can be said in favor of what, on the very proposal, they thought utterly indefensible. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an indefensible manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Defenseless. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The sword awes the indefensive villager. Sir T. Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. in- not + offensiue: cf. F. inoffensif. ] 1. Giving no offense, or provocation; causing no uneasiness, annoyance, or disturbance; as, an inoffensive man, answer, appearance. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Harmless; doing no injury or mischief. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not obstructing; presenting no interruption or hindrance. [ R. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

So have I seen a river gently glide
In a smooth course, and inoffensive tide. Addison.

-- In"of*fen"sive*ly, adv. -- In"of*fen"sive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ F., fr. L. offensa. See Offend. ] 1. The act of offending in any sense; esp., a crime or a sin, an affront or an injury. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. Rom. iv. 25. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have given my opinion against the authority of two great men, but I hope without offense to their memories. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being offended or displeased; anger; displeasure; as, to cause offense. [ 1913 Webster ]

He was content to give them just cause of offense, when they had power to make just revenge. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A cause or occasion of stumbling or of sin. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Woe to that man by whom the offense cometh! Matt. xviii. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. In any contest, the act or process of attacking as contrasted with the act of defending; the offensive; as, to go on the offense. [ PJC ]

5. (Sports) The members of a team who have the primary responsibility to score goals, in contrast to those who have the responsibility to defend, i.e. to prevent the opposing team from scoring goal. [ PJC ]

☞ This word, like expense, is often spelled with a c. It ought, however, to undergo the same change with expense, the reasons being the same, namely, that s must be used in offensive as in expensive, and is found in the Latin offensio, and the French offense. [ 1913 Webster ]

To take offense, to feel, or assume to be, injured or affronted; to become angry or hostile. --
Weapons of offense, those which are used in attack, in distinction from those of defense, which are used to repel. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Displeasure; umbrage; resentment; misdeed; misdemeanor; trespass; transgression; delinquency; fault; sin; crime; affront; indignity; outrage; insult. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Causing offense; displeasing; wrong; as, an offenseful act. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Unoffending; inoffensive.
Syn. -- offenceless. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That may give offense. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF., fr. L. offensio an offense. ] Assault; attack. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. offensif. See Offend. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Giving offense; causing displeasure or resentment; displeasing; annoying; as, offensive words. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Giving pain or unpleasant sensations; disagreeable; revolting; noxious; as, an offensive smell; offensive sounds. “Offensive to the stomach.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Making the first attack; assailant; aggressive; hence, used in attacking; -- opposed to defensive; as, an offensive war; offensive weapons. [ 1913 Webster ]

League offensive and defensive, a leaque that requires all the parties to it to make war together against any foe, and to defend one another if attacked. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Displeasing; disagreeable; distasteful; obnoxious; abhorrent; disgusting; impertinent; rude; saucy; reproachful; opprobrious; insulting; insolent; abusive; scurrilous; assailant; attacking; invading. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Of*fen"sive*ly, adv. -- Of*fen"sive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or posture of one who offends or makes attack; aggressive attitude; the act of the attacking party; -- opposed to defensive. [ 1913 Webster ]

To take the offensive,
To act on the offensive,
To go on the offensive, to be the attacking party; to initiate hostilities. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. The act of defending one's own person, property, or reputation. [ 1913 Webster ]

In self-defense (Law), in protection of self, -- it being permitted in law to a party on whom a grave wrong is attempted to resist the wrong, even at the peril of the life of the assailiant. Wharton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Defending, or tending to defend, one's own person, property, or reputation. [ 1913 Webster ]