From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
defeat
n 1: an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest; "it was a
narrow defeat"; "the army's only defeat"; "they suffered a
convincing licking" [syn: defeat, licking] [ant:
triumph, victory]
2: the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted
in attaining your goals [syn: frustration, defeat]
v 1: win a victory over; "You must overcome all difficulties";
"defeat your enemies"; "He overcame his shyness"; "He
overcame his infirmity"; "Her anger got the better of her
and she blew up" [syn: get the better of, overcome,
defeat]
2: thwart the passage of; "kill a motion"; "he shot down the
student's proposal" [syn: kill, shoot down, defeat,
vote down, vote out]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Defeat \De*feat"\, n. [Cf. F. d['e]faite, fr. d['e]faire. See
Defeat, v.]
1. An undoing or annulling; destruction. [Obs.]
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Upon whose property and most dear life
A damned defeat was made. --Shak.
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2. Frustration by rendering null and void, or by prevention
of success; as, the defeat of a plan or design.
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3. An overthrow, as of an army in battle; loss of a battle;
repulse suffered; discomfiture; -- opposed to victory.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Defeat \De*feat"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Defeated; p. pr. & vb.
n. Defeating.] [From F. d['e]fait, OF. desfait, p. p. ofe
d['e]faire, OF. desfaire, to undo; L. dis- + facere to do.
See Feat, Fact, and cf. Disfashion.]
1. To undo; to disfigure; to destroy. [Obs.]
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His unkindness may defeat my life. --Shak.
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2. To render null and void, as a title; to frustrate, as
hope; to deprive, as of an estate.
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He finds himself naturally to dread a superior Being
that can defeat all his designs, and disappoint all
his hopes. --Tillotson.
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The escheators . . . defeated the right heir of his
succession. --Hallam.
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In one instance he defeated his own purpose. --A. W.
Ward.
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3. To overcome or vanquish, as an army; to check, disperse,
or ruin by victory; to overthrow.
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4. To resist with success; as, to defeat an assault.
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Sharp reasons to defeat the law. --Shak.
Syn: To baffle; disappoint; frustrate.
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