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Parry vs Defend - What's the difference?

parry | defend |

As verbs the difference between parry and defend

is that parry is to avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack, a blow, an argument, etc.) while defend is to ward off, repel (an attack or attacker).

As a noun parry

is a defensive or deflective action; an act of parrying.

As a proper noun Parry

is {{surname|from=Welsh}.

parry

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (obsolete)

Noun

(parries)
  • A defensive or deflective action; an act of parrying.
  • (fencing) A simple defensive action designed to deflect an attack, performed with the forte of the blade.
  • Derived terms

    * beat parry * opposition parry * yielding parry

    Verb

  • To avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack, a blow, an argument, etc.).
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=September 28 , author=Tom Rostance , title=Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Wojciech Szczesny was then called into action twice in a minute to parry fierce drives from Djebbour and Torossidis as Arsenal's back four looked all at sea.}}

    defend

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To ward off, repel (an attack or attacker).
  • *1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , II.viii:
  • *:The vertue is, that neither steele, nor stone / The stroke thereof from entrance may defend .
  • (obsolete) To prevent, to keep (from doing something).
  • (transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To prohibit, forbid.
  • *:
  • *:Broder said sir launcelot wete ye wel I am ful lothe to departe oute of this realme / but the quene hath defended me soo hyhely / that me semeth she wille neuer be my good lady as she hath ben
  • To ward off attacks from; to fight to protect; to guard.
  • To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
  • (legal) To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 14, author=Steven Morris, work=Guardian
  • , title= Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave , passage=Philip Miles, defending , said: "This was a single instance, there was no allegation of continuing behaviour over a long period of time."}}
  • (sports) To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.
  • (sports) To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the same stage in a competition as one did in the previous edition of that competition.
  • (poker slang) To call a raise from the big blind.
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * attack

    Anagrams

    *