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Glite Dictionary
defenseman

defenseman

16 3.7
A player in ice hockey who stops the other team from scoring
  • noun
  • /dɪˈfɛnsˌmæn/
  • Jargon
: defensa
  • The defenseman skillfully blocked the shot, preventing the opposing team from scoring.
  • NHL defenseman
  • star defenseman
  • veteran defenseman

You know, you, you like, if the announcer doesn't get to saying that the defenseman should have come in on that play, you're capable of knowing that.

Examples

  • We had the first pick in the amateur draft, and we drafted this young defenseman named Greg Joly.

    Blog text (27)

  • The 6-4, 213-pound defenseman said he needed to clear his head and figure out what he wanted from the game.

    Blog text (8)

  • The defenseman said he feels better about his ability to contribute now than before he left Cincinnati.

    Blog text (8)

  • Their left defenseman is a very weak skater.

    Night at the Museum (2006)

  • We'll likely know more on Monday, after the young defenseman undergoes an MRI.

    Blog text (24)

  • Bruce talked about not making it a big offensive third period," says Caps defenseman John Erskine.

    Blog text (30)

  • You're going to see newly signed defenseman Scott Hannan, who has played over 20 minutes almost every year.

    Blog text (29)

  • Rookie defenseman Adam Clendening didn't see that much ice time in the third either.

    Blog text (26)

  • There is still no word on the condition of Toronto Maple Leaf defenseman Billy Duke, who was injured tonight at the Forum in a game against the Kings.

    Face-Off (1971)

  • Sharks rookie Freddie Hamilton and defenseman Taylor Doherty were credited with the assists on the goal.

    Blog text (25)

Antonyms

offense
  • US
379 3.2

Players who try to score points in a game

Surface Forms

defenseman singular
defensemen plural
defencemen plural
defenceman singular

Morphology

defenseman = defense + man (transparent) = defense + man

Clearly a compound of 'defense' + 'man' meaning a player whose role is defense in hockey; the sense follows straightforward English compounding.

Etymology

Defenseman is made of defense, an old word meaning 'to keep off' or 'protect', and man, which means 'person'. So a defenseman is a 'person who protects', which fits the hockey player whose job is to stop the other team from scoring.