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defeat definition

de·feat (dē fēt′, di-)

transitive verb

  1. to win victory over; overcome; beat
  2. to bring to nothing; frustrate defeating our plans
  3. to make null and void
  4. Obsolete to undo; destroy

Etymology: ME defeten < defet, disfigured, null and void < OFr desfait, pp. of desfaire, to undo < ML disfacere, to deface, ruin < L dis-, from + facere, to do

noun

  1. the act of defeating, or gaining victory
  2. the fact of being defeated
  3. frustration
  4. nullification

Etymology: ME defet

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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