different between defence vs safety

English

Alternative forms

• defense (American)

Etymology

From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Latin d?fensa (“protection”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d??f?ns/
• Rhymes: -?ns

Noun

defence (countable and uncountable, plural defences) (British spelling)

1. The action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury.
   • c. 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act II, Scene 4,^[1]

     In cases of defence ’tis best to weigh

     The enemy more mighty than he seems:

2. Something used to oppose attacks.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 12,^[2]

     And nothing ’gainst Time’s scythe can make defence

     Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.

3. An argument in support or justification of something.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 89,^[3]

     Speak of my lameness, and I straight will halt,

     Against thy reasons making no defence.
4. (team sports) A strategy and tactics employed to prevent the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
5. (team sports) The portion of a team dedicated to preventing the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
6. Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military.

7. (obsolete) Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.
   • 1673, William Temple, “An Essay upon the Advancement of Trade in Ireland” in Miscellanea, London: Edw[ard] Gellibrand, 1680, p. 116,^[5]

     […] severe defences may be made against weaving any Linnen under a certain breadth, such as may be of better use to the poorest People […]

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:defence

Antonyms

• offence (Commonwealth), offense (US)

Usage notes

The noun spelling is mainly used in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand, defense is more commonly used in America.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

defence (third-person singular simple present defences, present participle defencing, simple past and past participle defenced)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To furnish with defences; to fortify.
   • 1656, John Hales, Dixi Custodiam

     Better manned and more strongly defenced.

English

Etymology

From Old French sauveté, from earlier salvetet, from Medieval Latin salvitas, salvitatem, from Latin salvus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?se?fti/

Noun

safety (countable and uncountable, plural safeties)

1. The condition or feeling of being safe; security; certainty.

   If you push it to the limit, safety is not guaranteed.
2. (mechanics) A mechanism on a weapon or dangerous equipment designed to prevent accidental firing.

   Be sure that the safety is set before proceeding.

3. (American football) An instance of a player being sacked or tackled in the end zone, or stepping out of the end zone and off the field, resulting in two points to the opposite team.

   He sacked the quarterback in the end zone for a safety.

4. (American football) Any of the defensive players who are in position furthest from the line of scrimmage and whose responsibility is to defend against passes as well as to be the tacklers of last resort.

   The free safety made a game-saving tackle on the runner who had broken past the linebackers.

5. (baseball) A safety squeeze.
   • 1952, Bernard Malamud, The Natural, Time Life Books, 1966, p. 225,^[1]

     Boy wondered about that bunt. He had a notion Fowler would commit himself soon because time was on the go. But Fowler didn’t, making it another sweep of three Pirates. He had thus far given up only two safeties.

6. Preservation from escape; close custody.
   • c. 1596, William Shakespeare, King John, Act IV, Scene 2^[2]

     […] imprison him, […] / Deliver him to safety; and return,

7. (dated) A safety bicycle.
   • 1897, American Architect and Architecture (volumes 57-58, page 51)

     Many wheelmen and wheelwomen, riding safeties, tandems and tricycles, stopped there during the evening and we had good opportunity for comparing American and English bicycles […]

Antonyms

• danger

Derived terms

Related terms

• safe

Translations

See also

• security
• secure

Verb

safety (third-person singular simple present safeties, present participle safetying, simple past and past participle safetied)

1. (transitive) To secure (a mechanical component, as in aviation) to keep it from becoming detached even under vibration.
2. to secure a firing pin, as in guns, to keep the gun from firing
   • 2011 Time Crime, page 92

     Time went back to normal for him; he safetied his own weapon and dropped it, jumping forward.

   • 2012 Blowout, page 343

     Osborne lay propped up on one elbow, his pistol cocked, his aim wavering in the general direction the man had gone. Finally he safetied it, stuffed it in the holster on his right hip, and reached for his cell phone in his jacket pocket. But it was gone.