Defence
Defined in 1 dictionary — Burrill (1850)
A New Law Dictionary and Glossary
Alexander M. Burrill · 1850
in modern practice, includes all the proceedings on the part of a defendant to embarrass, delay, or defeat a plaintiff's action.
In a stricter sense, defence is used to denote the answer made by the defendant to the plaintiff's action, by demurrer or plea at law, or answer in equity. This is the meaning of the term in Scotch law. Frsk. Inst. b. 4, tit. 1, § 66.