line of defence

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Noun	1.	line of defence - any organization whose responsibility it is to defend against something; "police are the major line of defense against crime" line of defense organization, organisation - a group of people who work together
	2.	line of defence - defensive structure consisting of a barrier that can be employed for defense against attack line of defense abatis, abattis - a line of defense consisting of a barrier of felled or live trees with branches (sharpened or with barbed wire entwined) pointed toward the enemy defensive structure, defence, defense - a structure used to defend against attack; "the artillery battered down the defenses"

References in classic literature ?

Our first line of defence was about half-way down the side of the slope, our second fifty yards further back, while our third occupied the edge of the plateau.

To and fro swayed the mass of struggling warriors, men falling fast as leaves in an autumn wind; but before long the superior weight of the attacking force began to tell, and our first line of defence was slowly pressed back till it merged into the second.

View in context

Soon after this, Raffles, looking far from well, fell back upon his own last line of defence, namely, his bed; and now, as always in the end, I could see some sense in his subtleties, since it was comparatively easy for me to turn even Jacques Saillard from the door, with Dr.

View in context

It is my faith that armed forces are not only the first line of defence but also the last line of defence.

Armed forces

Aaron Eckhart, left, stars as one of a team of highly trained US Marines who are the last line of defence when humanity is faced with a powerful new enemy.

CHOICE

Under these changes, risk management units in the business areas, the first line of defence, will be consolidated into a new unit, group Business Risk Management.

Nordea announces two champs in role sin executive management

ISLAMABAD -- Reinvigorating his ministry's resolve, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, 'we will continue to act as the first line of defence.'

Foreign Office will continue to act as first line of defence: FM Quresh

According to him, Planet Labs' satellite imagery of the region suggests that over the summer and early autumn of this year, Azerbaijan has moved troops into new positions along the mountain which oversees the Armenian first line of defence in the area and a vital Armenian military road (highlighted in yellow in the first satellite image).

Azerbaijan pushes into Nakhchivan borderlands forcing Armenia to abandon positions: Bellingcat (PHOTO)

ISLAMABAD -- Paying a visit to the headquarters of the country's top spy agency, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday termed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as the best intelligence agency of the world and the country's first line of defence.

PM praises ISI as 'world's best, first line of defence'

He said that ISI is our first line of defence and stands out as best intelligence agency of the world.

PM lauds ISI's counter terrorism efforts

He said ISI is our first line of defence and stands out as best intelligence agency of the world.

PM Khan lauds role of ISI in national security

ISLAMABAD -- Prime Minister Imran Khan says that ISI is our first line of defence and stands out as best intelligence agency of the world.