Meaning

noun (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires

noun (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring

noun the defendant and his legal advisors collectively

originFrom Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa (“protection”). Displaced Old English bewering.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0