Abwehr
/ˈabvɛː/ /ˈʌpvɛː/Now historical
noun
In Germany: a military intelligence and counter-intelligence agency (1921–44) founded as a division of the defence ministry, and expanded to include foreign espionage assignments in 1934 by the ruling Nazi party.
Origin
1940s; earliest use found in The Chicago Sunday Tribune. From German Abwehr, specific sense of Abwehr defence, resistance, warding off from abwehren to ward off from ab- + wehren.