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adhere to; -- with from; as, we can not depart from our rules; to depart from a title or defense in legal pleading. If the plan of the convention be found to depart from republican principles. Madison.

to invent; to plan; to scheme; as, to devise an engine, a new mode of writing, a plan of defense, or an argument. To devise curious works. Ex. CCTV. 32. Devising schemes to realize his ambitious views. Bancroft.

. . was turned . . . into a dexterity to deliver himself. Bacon. He had conducted his own defense with singular boldness and dexterity. Hallam.

-- opposed to advantageous; as, the situation of an army is disadvantageous for attack or defense. Even in the disadvantageous position in which he had been placed, he gave clear indications of future excellence. Prescott. -- Dis*ad`van*ta"geous*ly, adv. -- Dis*ad`van*ta"geous*ness, n.

To deprive of arms; to take away the weapons of; to deprive of the means of attack or defense; to render defenseless. Security disarms the best-appointed army. Fuller. The proud was half disarmed of pride. Tennyson.

To drive out from a place of hiding or defense; as, to dislodge a deer, or an enemy. The Volscians are dislodg'd. Shak.

norable estimation; as, a man of distinction. Your country's own means of distinction and defense. D. Webster.

ny construction, whether a temporary breastwork or permanent fortification, for attack or defense, the material of which is chiefly earth.

To fence or fortify with stakes; to surround with a line of stakes for defense; to impale. All that dwell near enemies empale villages, to save themselves from surprise. Sir W. Raleigh.

f of Engineers. It has charge of the construction of fortifications for land and seacoast defense, the improvement of rivers and harbors, the construction of lighthouses, etc., and, in time of war, supervises the engineering operations of the armies in the field.

A defense for the shoulder, composed of flexible overlapping plates of metal, used in the 15th century; -- the origin of the modern epaulette. Fairholt.

To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for. Think ye that we excuse ourselves to you 2 Cor. xii. 19.

That which fends off attack or danger; a defense; a protection; a cover; security; shield. Let us be backed with God and with the seas, Which he hath given for fence impregnable. Shak. A fence betwixt us and the victor's wrath. Addison.

le deer are fawning, when hunting is prohibited. Bullokar. -- Fence roof, a covering for defense. "They fitted their shields close to one another in manner of a fence roof." Holland. Fence time, the breeding time of fish or game, when they should not be killed. -- Rail fence, a fence made of rails, sometimes supporte…

Affording defense; defensive. [Obs.] Congreve.

Without a fence; uninclosed; open; unguarded; defenseless. Milton.

Capable of being defended, or of making or affording defense. [Obs.] No fort so fencible, nor walls so strong. Spenser.

The art or practice of attack and defense with the sword, esp. with the s,allword. See Fence, v. i., 2.

. To fire up, to grow irritated or angry. "He . . . fired up, and stood vigorously on his defense." Macaulay.

right or left of a battalion; usually grenadiers, light infantry, or riflemen. -- Flank defense (Fort.), protection of a work against undue exposure to an enemy's direct fire, by means of the fire from other works, sweeping the ground in its front. -- Flank en potence (Mil.), any part of the right or left wing forme…