defence

n. protection, security (also defense)

'deFENCE' is an interactive conceptual art project for freedom of cohabitation, designed in such a way as to include each beholder personally. In tradition of Marcel Duchamp, the two main roles of this exhibit are the work itself, and the person watching it. Only here, the subjective role of the beholder is not the only one. They are personally drawn into the exhibit, by way of a mirror. The work represents a house, with its door wide open, inviting and welcoming every visitor. Except, a certain visitor is watching this house over a barbed wire fence. On the other hand, this visitor is being watched from the window of the house. The author's intention was to combine these two persons into one, so that people who had never had the chance to be on the other side of the barbed wire, can benefit in two ways: Firstly, they can see how it is to be looking over a barbed wire into a house inviting you, which you cannot reach. And secondly, they can see themselves passively looking from the house at the person outside the fence, doing nothing to remove this segregation.
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Defense (U.S. spelling) or defence (worldwide; see -ce/-se) may refer to: The tactics and strategy of defending against attack:Defense (military)Defense (sport)Defender (football), a specialist defensive player in football (soccer)Defenceman (ice hockey), a specialist defensive player in ice hockeyDefense (legal)Self-defenseCivil defense
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Noun
1. (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
(synonym) defense mechanism, defense reaction, defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense
(hypernym) psychoanalytic process
(hyponym) compensation
(classification) psychiatry, psychopathology, psychological medicine
2. (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring; "his teams are always good on defense"
(synonym) defense, defending team
(antonym) offense, offence
(hypernym) team, squad
(derivation) defend
(classification) sport, athletics
3. the defendant and his legal advisors collectively; "the defense called for a mistrial"
(synonym) defense, defense team, defense lawyers
(hypernym) collection, aggregation, accumulation, assemblage
(derivation) defend, represent
4. an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack; "he joined the defense against invasion"
(synonym) defense, defense force, defence force
(hypernym) organization, organisation
(hyponym) bastion
(derivation) defend, guard, hold
5. the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions; "his refutation of the charges was short and persuasive"; "in defense he said the other man started it"
(synonym) refutation, defense
(hypernym) answer
(hyponym) confutation
6. the justification for some act or belief; "he offered a persuasive defense of the theory"
(synonym) defense, vindication
(hypernym) justification
(hyponym) apology, apologia
(derivation) defend, support, fend for
7. a structure used for defense; "the artillery battered down the defenses"
(synonym) defensive structure, defense
(hypernym) structure, construction
(hyponym) cheval-de-frise, chevaux-de-frise
8. a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him; "he gave evidence for the defense"
(synonym) defense, denial, demurrer
(hypernym) due process, due process of law
(hyponym) entrapment
(part-holonym) trial
(classification) law, jurisprudence
9. military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies; "they died in the defense of Stalingrad"; "they were developed for the defense program"
(synonym) defense, defensive measure
(hypernym) military action, action
(hyponym) umbrella
(classification) military, armed forces, armed services, military machine, war machine
10. protection from harm; "sanitation is the best defense against disease"
(synonym) defense
(hypernym) protection

(n.)
The defendant's answer or plea; an opposing or denial of the truth or validity of the plaintiff's or prosecutor's case; the method of proceeding adopted by the defendant to protect himself against the plaintiff's action.
  

(n.)
The act of defending, or the state of being defended; protection, as from violence or danger.
  

(n.)
That which defends or protects; anything employed to oppose attack, ward off violence or danger, or maintain security; a guard; a protection.
  

(n.)
Protecting plea; vindication; justification.
  

(n.)
Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.
  

(n.)
Act or skill in making defense; defensive plan or policy; practice in self defense, as in fencing, boxing, etc.
  

(n. & v. t.)
See Defense.
  

A forcible resistance of an attack by force.

A man is justified in defending his person and that of his wife, children and servants. For this purpose he may use as much force as may be necessary, even to killing the assailant, remembering that the means used must always be proportioned to the occasion and an excess becomes, itself, an injury.

A man may also repel force by force in defence of his personal property, and even justify homicide against one who manifestly intends or endeavors by violence or surprise to commit a known felony such as robbery.

With respect to the defence or protection of the possession of real property, although it is justifiable even to kill a person in the act of attempting to commit a forcible felony such as burglary or arson, this justification can only take place when the party in possession is wholly without fault. It is in general lawful to oppose force with force, when the former is clearly illegal.

Pleading, Practice. The denial of the truth or validity of the complaint, and does not signify a justification. It is a general assertion that the plaintiff has no ground of action, which assertion is afterwards extended and maintained in the plea.

Defence also signifies a justification; such as, the defendant has made a successful defence to the charge laid in the indictment.

The Act of Congress of April 30, 1790, acting upon principles adopted in all the states, enacts that every person accused and indicted of the crime of treason, or other capital offence, shall 'be allowed and admitted to make his full defence by counsel learned in the law; and the court before whom such person shall be tried, or some judge thereof, shall, and they are hereby authorized and required, immediately upon his request, to assign to such person such counsel, not exceeding two, as such person shall desire, to whom such counsel shall have free access at all seasonable hours; and every such person or persons, accused or indicted of the crimes aforesaid, shall be allowed and admitted in his said defence, to make any proof that he or they can produce, by lawful witness or witnesses, and shall have the like process of the court where he or they shall be tried, to compel his or their witnesses to appear at his or their trial, as is usually granted to compel witnesses to appear on the prosecution against them.'

Defences in equity may be classed in two divisions; dilator and peremptory. Matters of peremptory or permanent defences may be also divided into two sorts.

1st, those where the plaintiff never had any right to institute the suit. E.g.: That the plaintiff had not a superior right to the defendant; That the defendant has no interest; That there is no privity between the plaintiff and defendant or any right to sustain the suit.

Second, those that insist that the original right, if any, is extinguished or determined; E.g.: When the right is determined by the act of the parties; When it is determined by operation of law.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.