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Defensive   /dɪfˈɛnsɪv/   Listen
adjective
Defensive  adj.  
1.
Serving to defend or protect; proper for defense; opposed to offensive; as, defensive armor. "A moat defensive to a house."
2.
Carried on by resisting attack or aggression; opposed to offensive; as, defensive war.
3.
In a state or posture of defense.


noun
Defensive  n.  That which defends; a safeguard. "Wars preventive, upon just fears, are true defensives."
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.





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Defensive" Quotes from Famous Books



... corps of Hindoostanees commonly called Campbell's regiment, with two guns, to restore order: no support, however, was rendered to these by our troops, whose leaders appeared so thunderstruck by the intelligence of the outbreak, as to be incapable of adopting more than the most puerile defensive measures. Even Sir William Macnaghten seemed, from a note received at this time from him by Captain Trevor, to apprehend little danger, as he therein expressed his perfect confidence as to the speedy and complete success of Campbell's Hindoostanees in putting ...
— Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXVIII. February, 1843. Vol. LIII. • Various
... to his lights, my boy. But as I was saying, your people make war against these people, and they generally act on the defensive. Sometimes they retaliate. This time ...
— In the King's Name - The Cruise of the "Kestrel" • George Manville Fenn
... enemies' bodies, and so we shall use them. And at need we shall have bludgeons—for the wild olive trees are good with us.[60] Some of our men have single-bladed axes at their belts with which those of us who have no defensive armour shall chop their[61] shields and make them fight on equal terms. The fight will, at a guess, come off to-morrow: for when some of the foe had fallen in with scouts of ours and pursuing them ...
— A Letter Book - Selected with an Introduction on the History and Art of Letter-Writing • George Saintsbury
... a bullet had grazed her neck, and the sight of the narrow sear filled Weldon's mind with a dull, unreasoning rage. Brutal to aim at the plucky mounts who bore their riders so gallantly into the flight where all defensive power was denied themselves! He paused long enough to pat the firm gray neck, to feel the answering pressure against his hand. Then he raised his rifle again and took careful aim, as he breathed a wordless prayer that chance might guide his bullet into the man who had scarred his faithful friend. ...
— On the Firing Line • Anna Chapin Ray and Hamilton Brock Fuller
... English the insult which they had made me, without their tarnishing the glory that they had merited in chastising the English & the savages, their friends, of their perfidy. We were nevertheless always upon the defensive, & we apprehended being surprised at the place where we were as much on the part of the English, as of those of the savages, their friends; that is why we resolved of coming to establish ourselves in the place where we are at ...
— Voyages of Peter Esprit Radisson • Peter Esprit Radisson


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