defender

Etymology

From Middle English defender, deffender, defendere, defendour, defendoure, partly from Anglo-Norman defendour, from Old French defendëor; partly from Middle English defenden + -ere, equivalent to defend + -er.

noun

1. Someone who defends people or property.
2. (sports) One of the players whose primary task is to prevent the opposition from scoring.
3. A fighter who seeks to repel an attack.
4. (law, rare) A lawyer who represents defendants, especially a public defender; a defense attorney (US) or defence counsel (UK).
   There was another protection to which she was intitled by that law, namely, a defender; but she had none. 1822, Thomas Bayly Howell, A Complete Collection of State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason and Other Crimes and Misdemeanors from the Earliest Period to the Year 1783, page 729
   So, what is contemplated under this model is that the defender would work with civil legal services lawyers to address the clients' needs. 2007, Barry Krisberg, Susan Marchionna, Christopher Baird, Continuing the Struggle for Justice, page 248
   It puts you at the head of the table, at a right angle to the witness; the court reporter sits to your right, and the defender sits on the witness's far side. 2010, Henry L. Hecht, Effective Depositions, page 243
5. (Scotland, law) A defendant in a civil action.