noun
1. any organization whose responsibility it is to defend against something
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police are the major line of defense against crime
• Syn: ↑line of defence
• Hypernyms: ↑organization, ↑organisation
2. defensive structure consisting of a barrier that can be employed for defense against attack
• Syn: ↑line of defence
• Hypernyms: ↑defensive structure, ↑defense, ↑defence
* * *
1. : an artificial or natural barrier that can be readily employed for defense against invasion or attack (as a line of fortifications, a river, or a narrow pass)
2. : an organization of military land forces with which a nation seeks to maintain its integrity against armed aggression or invasion
the standing army usually forms a nation's first line of defense
Useful english dictionary. 2012.