well-defendedadj.

1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. f. xxvii/2 The marshals company made a gret assaut and skirmysshe at the castell of Uerchyne but they wan nothyng ther it was so well defended.

1566 I. B. tr. Fortresse of Fathers sig. D7 I make this day, a well defended cytie, a Pyiler of yron, and a brasen wall, againste the Kynges of Iuda.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) v. i. 399 Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong'd Your well defended honor. View more context for this quotation

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis ix, in tr. Virgil Wks. 492 Soon repuls'd they fly, Or in the well-defended Pass they dye.

1762 S. Scott Descr. Millenium Hall 222 This wretched man upon the death of his only servant, agreed with an old woman to buy food for him, and bring it to the well defended door of his yard.

1829 W. Scott Anne of Geierstein III. x. 292 Instead of attempting to secure a well-defended frontier.

1870 W. C. Bryant tr. Homer Iliad I. i. 169 Should Jove Give up to sack this well-defended Troy.

1944 Life 8 May 35/3 Direct assault upon a well-defended enemy coastline, is just about the most difficult undertaking in the books.

1994 M. Crenshaw in R. C. Rist Democratic Imagination viii. 150 Terrorists rarely attack well-defended targets.