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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Defend, v. Also: defende, deffend, diff-, dyffend. [ME. defende (c 1250), deff-, diff-, dyffend (14–16th c.), OF. defendre, L. dēfendere.]

1. tr. To guard or protect (a person or place, etc., or oneself) from or against attack or injury.(1) 1375 Barb. viii. 188.
Befor hym [he] thocht veil that he Suld fra thar mycht defendit be a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 273.
He that quyk sawit Moyses … Has defendit this barne here c1420 Wynt. i. 49.
Gywe youre curtasy … fra thaire lethe walde me defende ?1438 Alex. i. 2737.
Heir is na bute langer to be, Ilk man defend his auin heill 1452 Douglas Chart. 79.
To … defende the said schir Archibald … lik as a lord aucht to … defende his cousingis and men a1500 Henr. Fab. 2636.
Thocht I can nocht, Nature will me defend c1475 Wall. ii. 176.
My carneill lyff I may nocht thus defend a1500 Bk. Chess 1034.
Knychtis suld kepe the pepill & defend And for thaim fecht c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 153.
As Mars armypotent, Defendit me that nobil cheuallere 1513 Doug. ii. xi. 40.
O natyve goddis, ȝour awyn kynrent defend 15.. Christis Kirk 165.
He gart his feit defend his heid c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3413.
To Lott two angellis God did sende, Hym frome that furye tyll defend a1578 Pitsc. I. 276/23.
Oftymes it is … sene that the airmes defendis the heid(2) 1375 Barb. xvi. 491.
Schir Iames of Douglas on this vis … Defendit worthely the land Ib. xvii. 241.
For till defend … Castell of wer or than cite c1420 Wynt. vii. 1825.
Defendyde he gert the Kyrk be welle In all the fredwmys 1456 Hay I. 123/26.
Gif the king nede to have help to defend his realme Ib. II. 51/18.
Thai aw to diffend thair lordis landis c1475 Wall. x. 460.
I cleym no rycht, bot wald this land defend 1494 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 52.
The aldirmane, balȝeis, … oppinly schew that tha wald ayfaldly defende thair landis and heretage 1513 Doug. ii. v. 89.
The Troiane wallys wyght, … With this rycht hand thai suld haue be defendit 1533 Boece iii. xxi. 124.
He directit all the cast of his life to defend his kinrik 1549 Compl. 137/4.
Thay ar oblist til haszard there lyifis … to deffend the cuntre a1570-86 Maitl. F. xv. 7.
God keip our Quein and grace hir send This realme to gyde and to defend 1596 Dalr. I. 184/16.
Donald … invades the realme, finding it … bair of strang handes to defend it(3) 1375 Barb. v. 357.
Thai the chansell sturdely Held, and thaim defendit wele Ib. vi. 240.
Thidder he went … Defendand him full douchtely c1420 Wynt. vii. 3286.
The kyng … thame assaylyd rycht stowtly. Thai thame defendyd rycht manlyly 1456 Hay I. 153/9.
All lawis levis all maner of man to defend him self c1475 Wall. iii. 161.
Sa few folk … To gydder baid, defendand thaim full fast c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxii. 27.
He ran vpoun hir with a race, And scho schup nevir for till defendhir 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 930.
Thay purpose to defend thame with thair gounnis a1578 Pitsc. I. 299/25.
He … slew the laird of Keiris principall servandis … defendand himself

b. intr. To make defence: to offer resistance. 1375 Barb. ix. 132.
The kingis men … thame apparalit Till defend, gif thai thame assalit Ib. ix. 147.
Gif othir wald thame assalȝe, Thai wald defend c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1893.
Pallamydes … Profferit him for to defend Aganis quhome evir [etc.] c1420 Wynt. iv. 449.
Scho gert hyr sone … byd his opertwnyte, To dyffend or tyll assayle 1456 Hay I. 142/26.
Till invade na man, bot to defend allanerly Ib. II. 15/4.
Thai ar … oblist to defend a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 7.
Scantlie fra the cauld I micht defend c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlii. 65.
Thai thairin schup for to defend And thai thairfurth sailȝeit ane hour 1535 Stewart 56626.
Tha within so manfullie did defend, Tha leit thame nocht enter attouir the wall a1578 Pitsc. I. 86/22.
He defendit so walieantlie quhill ane of thir briggantis was slaine 1596 Dalr. I. 283/11.
Heir followis scharp weiris, … the ane persewis, the vther defendis

2. To protect (another's property, or the owner) against encroachment or claims: to maintain in a legal right.(1) 1423 Edinb. Chart. 56.
Dene Johne sal warand, acquit, and defende the saide tak … til the said Aldermene 1477 Reg. Great S. 284/2.
We herefor binds and oblises us and our ayris … to warrand and defend all the said landis … to the said Walt. and Eliz. 1494 Acta Conc. 362/1.
The said Baldred … to werrand acquiet and defende to the said Johne the tak and assedacioune of the saidis landis 1506 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II. 162.
To warand, defend and mak quiet the forsaid twa merkis worth and ane half of land of the Hagthornehill 1540 Reg. Privy S. II. 511/2.
I … sall warrand, acquiet, and defend to the said M. Alexander … this present tak and assedatioun of the Kirkland 1581 Mun. Univ. Glasg. I. 133.
[We] bindis and oblissis vs … to warrand acquoyet and defend this our vnioun and annexatioun to the said College(2) 1466 Acta Aud. 5/1.
To kepe & defend the saide Elisabeth vndistrublit … in tyme tocum 1482 Edinb. Chart. 153.
That we … sal keip, obserue, hald, defend, warand, and freith the saidis Provest, Ballies, and Communite [etc.] 1496 Acta Conc. II. 4.
To … defend the sade Robert … in the tak, unto the tyme that he be ordourely waiput thairfra 1584 Rec. Earld. Orkney 156.
To warrand, acquiat, and defend the said nobill Loird … in the landis abone expremit

b. To oppose or deny (a claim or accusation). Also absol. 14.. Acts I. 58/2.
The party defendand nedis not till ansuer … to ma accions on a daye than ane c1500-c1512 Dunb. xliii. 29.
Thay can defend, evin to the end, Ane mater furth expres 1545 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 116.
All maner of persouns that hes ony pleyis to persew or defend

c. To fence (a court). 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 114.
After the court be affirmed and defended, na man aught to speik … bot they ilke parties

3. To maintain or vindicate (one's fame, etc.) against charge, imputation, or attack. c1420 Wynt. iv. 800.
We sall sawffyd be fra blame, And sall welle defend oure fame 1455 Edinb. Chart. 80.
That the said Sir James Logane sal manteine and defend the fredome of the toune of Edynburgh at al his gudely power 1456 Hay II. 67/31.
That thai all suld defend, manetene, and uphald the honour of knychthede 1533 Gau 17/29.
Thay that spekis notht guid for thair nichtburs and deffendis noth thair honour and fayme in thair absence 1549 Compl. 163/8.
To gar ȝou be vigilant … to deffend the liberte of ȝour faculte a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. clxxx. 51.
Mycht sclanderit men of thé gait audiens, … Thay sould say weill defend thair innocens

4. To maintain or support against opposition, argu ment, or objection. a1400 Leg. S. xxiii. 485.
Quha the contrar [opinion] wald defend, To bryne in fyre he bad be send c1420 Wynt. i. 62.
Bettyr is that we all comend Tyll Gode that we can noucht defende 1456 Hay I. 207/25.
Gif thai lordis of the justice defendis maliciously the ref a1500 Henr. Fab. 558.
This tod, thocht he … had frawdis his querrell to defend c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5248.
Quho doith fortifye or defend Sic law 1573 Sat. P. xlii. 95.
He that mellis with thingis vnkend, And stubburnely will thame defend 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. I. 23.
Sa lang as he or his preloquutour defends tort and non reason

b. To maintain or insist upon (a statement). 1562-3 Winȝet I. 112/12.
Quhou sal ȝe defend ȝour selfis nocht to be hypocritis 1596 Dalr. II. 69/13.
The French king defendes, that the kingdome of France sulde perteine to him Ib. 348/27.
Constantlie he defendis the quene nocht to be abone xj ȝeiris

c. To support or keep up. a1500 Henr. Fab. 700.
How sall I leif, … Haifand nane vther craft me to defend 1596 Dalr. II. 240/5.
Quhen he vnderstude, that he culde not vpon sa smal patrimonie defend the cost … of a king

5. To ward off, resist. 1456 Hay I. 131/22.
All lawis levis men to defend force be force Ib. II. 33/18.
For knychthede suld defend all injuris and wrangis c1450-2 Howlat 383.
Of Scotland the wer wall, … Our fais force to defend a1568 Scott iii. 50.
Bot ȝit ȝe may mishaif ȝow … , And ȝe defend nocht damisellis defame 1581 Sat. P. xliii. 20.
The monarches foure micht not hir [sc. Fortune's] force defend c1590 J. Stewart 67/65.
No corslat, targe, acton, nor habirȝoune Mycht the redoubling dochtie dints defend

6. To prohibit, forbid, declare against. 14.. Acts I. 335/2.
The takyn of salmond is diffendit fra the Setterday efter evinsang quhill the Mononday at the sun rysing a1500 Rauf C. 60.
I defend that we fall in ony fechtine Ib. 524. 1491 Acta Conc. 169/1.
All the saidis giftis … ar derogate, adnullit, restrenȝeit and defendit quhill the kingis age of xxj ȝeris 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 283.
Syne I defend and forbiddis euery wight, … For till correct, or ȝit amend Virgill Ib. viii. 82.
We ar defendit to herbry on the sand 1533 Bell. Livy II. 56/31.
Is it defendit that oure blude sall haue commixtioun? 1533 Boece ix. xi. 314.
Gif ȝe do vthirwayis (quhilk the benyng God defend) a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxiv. 3.
Lyk as Aglauros, … Suppose defendit, ceist not till sho sau The serpent chyld 1622-6 Bisset II. 252/8.
Itisdefended that na man … tak upoun hand to depairt fra the schip … but the maisteris licence

7. To exclude, shut out. c1420 Ratis R. 1511.
God sall … thé out of his hous defend 1570 Sat. P. x. 188.
Howbeit scho was sone closit vp beliue, Hir gairdis defendit and hir self captiue