defenceddefensedadj.
/dᵻˈfɛnst/, U.S. /dəˈfɛnst/, /diˈfɛnst/, /ˈdiˌfɛnst/ Now rare.
Having a defence or defences; protected; fortified; = defended adj. 2. Frequently with modifying word.See also well-defenced adj.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > defence > [adjective] > defended
well-defended1523
defenced1531
fortified1538
defended?1572
pavised1584
defenceful1748
1531 G. Joye tr. Prophete Isaye xxv. sig. F.viiv Thou turnest grete cytes into heapes of erthe, stronge defensed townes [L. urbem fortem] into ruyne.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Jer. xxxiv. 6 Stronge defensed cities of Iuda.
1551 R. Robinson tr. T. More Vtopia sig. Siii The well fortefied and strongly defenced wealth [L. egregie munitas opes]..of many cities.
?1675–96 Last Lament. Languishing Squire (single sheet) No strong Defenced Tower Can e'er withstand Love's armed Band.
1791 J. Townsend Journey Spain III. 309 Perello was formerly a defenced city.
1845 Trans. Amer. Ethnol. Soc. 1 419 The common trenches, fortifications and defenced mounds of the Ohio valley.
1878 Atheneum (Springfield, Illinois) Apr. 367 Hast thou not said, the wicked are as thorns.., And that the man shall touch them must be arm'd..with the shaft of a defensed spear?
1900 S. R. Crockett Joan of Sword Hand xxviii. 198 She was to be seen..scouring the defenced posts along the city wall.
1977 Allocation Resources Soviet Union & China (U.S. Congress, Subcommittee on Priorities & Econ. in Govt. of Joint Econ. Comm.) 3 189 There is a terrific hyper concern with defense on the part of the Soviet Union, you can see that in their heavily defensed air space.
2011 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 20 Jan. 30 The enemy..have now been forced to evacuate strongly defenced positions in and around Kassala.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1531