defeat
verb
- win or overcome
noun
- loss in a battle or other contest; opposite of victory; act of defeating or being defeated
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /dɪˈfiːt/
noun
Etymology: From Middle English defet, from French deffet, desfait, past participle of the verb desfaire (compare modern French défaire), from des- + faire.
- The act or instance of being defeated, of being overcome or vanquished; a loss.
“Licking their wounds after a temporary defeat, they planned their next move.”
“Two defeats in five games coming into this contest, and a draw with Everton, ultimately cost Sir Alex Ferguson's side in what became the most extraordinary finale to the league championship since Arsenal beat Liverpool at Anfield in 1989.”
- The act or instance of defeating, of overcoming, vanquishing.
“The inscription records her defeat of the country's enemies in a costly war.”
- Frustration (by prevention of success), stymieing; (law) nullification.
“... is subsequently issued to him, in accordance with his perfect equity thus acquired, by a legal fiction which the law creates for the protection, but not for the defeat, of his title.”
“She could see no justice in being forced into a position that promised to end in further humiliation and defeat of her hopes.”
- Destruction, ruin.
“and made defeat of her virginity”
verb
Etymology: From Middle English defeten, from Middle English defet (“disfigured”, past participle) and defet (“defect”, noun), see Etymology 2 below.
- To overcome in battle or contest.
“Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.”
“The Japanese defeated the Ming general Tsu Chʻeng-hsün 祖承訓 at Pʻing jang 平壤 in 1592, the first year of Bunroku 文祿 of Japan, and the fighting continued for some years; but at Hideyoshi's death the Japanese troops left Korea.”
- To reduce, to nothing, the strength of.
“He finds himself naturally to dread a superior Being that can defeat all his designs, and disappoint all his hopes.”
“In one instance he defeated his own purpose.”
- To nullify
“The escheators […] defeated the right heir of his succession.”
- To prevent (something) from being achieved.
“The last active L.Y.R. 0-6-0ST (apart from works shunters), No. 51408, has been moved from Bolton to Agecroft for use in New Bailey Yard, Salford, where a sharp 1 in 27 curve is said to have defeated all attempts so far to employ diesel shunters; an ex-L.Y.R. 0-4-0ST also works here.”