defang
verb
- remove fangs
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /diːˈfæŋ/
verb
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English fang English defang From de- + fang.
- To remove the fangs from (something).
“The snake was defanged.”
- To render (something) harmless.
“The Government's new security supremo, Admiral Sir Alan West, said the danger from home-grown and foreign terrorists was at its greatest level ever, and warned that it could take up to 15 years to defang Islamic radicalism.”