detersive | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

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c. 1400, "serving to defend, proper for defense; of the nature of defense," from Old French defensif (14c., Modern French défensif) and directly from Medieval Latin defensivus, from defens-, past participle stem of Latin defendere (see defend). Of persons, "alert to reject criticism," from 1919. Related: Defensively; defensiveness.

As a noun, "that which defends or serves for defense," c. 1400, originally of medicines. Meaning "posture or attitude of defense" is from c. 1600.

baseman (n.)

in baseball, player whose defensive position is at one of the three bases, by 1857, from base (n.) + man (n.).

munition (n.)

1530s, "fortification, action of fortifying or defending" (a sense now obsolete), also "materials used in war," from French municion "fortification, defense, defensive wall" (14c.), from Latin munitionem (nominative munitio) "a defending, fortification, protecting," noun of action from past-participle stem of munire "to fortify," from moenia "defensive walls," related to murus "wall" (see mural). Female workers in British shell factories in World War I were called munitionettes.

Nimzo-Indian (adj.)

type of defensive opening in chess, 1935, in reference to Aron Nimzowitsch (1886-1935), Latvian-born Jewish chess genius who popularized a variation of the Indian defense (1884) attributed to Indian chess player Moheschunder Bannerjee.

Wall Street (n.)

"U.S. financial world," 1836, from street in New York City that is home to many investment firms and stock traders, as well as NYSE. The street so called because it ran along the interior of the defensive wall of the old Dutch colonial town.

protective (adj.)

"affording protection, sheltering, defensive," 1660s, from protect + -ive. As a noun from 1875. Related: Protectively; protectiveness. Protective custody is from 1936, translating German Schutzhaft, used cynically by the Nazis. The notion is "adopted or intended to afford protection."

block (n.2)

"obstruction," 1831, from block (v.1), also in part perhaps an extended sense of block (n.1). As a type of defensive shot in cricket, from 1825; in U.S. football, the act of obstructing another player, from 1912.

fortification (n.)

early 15c., "a strengthening," also "defensive earthworks; a tower" (mid-15c.), from Old French fortification "strengthening, fortification," from Late Latin fortificationem (nominative fortificatio) "a strengthening, fortifying," noun of action from past-participle stem of fortificare "to make strong" (see fortify).

armadillo (n.)

burrowing mammal of the American tropics, 1570s, from Spanish armadillo, diminutive of armado "armored," from Latin armatus, past participle of armare "to arm, furnish with weapons," from arma "weapons" (including defensive armor), literally "tools, implements (of war);" see arm (n.2). So called for its hard, plated shell.

armor (n.)

c. 1300, "mail, defensive covering worn in combat," also, generally, "means of protection," from Old French armeure "weapons, armor" (12c.), from Latin armatura "arms, equipment," from arma "weapons" (including defensive armor), literally "tools, implements (of war)," see arm (n.2). Figurative use from mid-14c.

Meaning "military equipment generally," especially siege engines, is from late 14c. The word might have died with jousting if not for 19c. transference to metal-sheathed combat machinery beginning with U.S. Civil War ironclads (it is first attested in this sense in an 1855 report from the U.S. Congressional Committee on Naval Affairs). Meaning "protective envelope of an animal" is from c. 1600.

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