WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Fen"der
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [From Fend, v. t. & i., cf. Defender.]
Definition : Defn: One who or that which defends or protects by warding off harm; as: (a) A screen to prevent coals or sparks of an open fire from escaping to the floor. (b) Anything serving as a cushion to lessen the shock when a vessel comes in contact with another vessel or a wharf. (c) A screen to protect a carriage from mud thrown off the wheels: also, a splashboard. (d) Anything set up to protect an exposed angle, as of a house, from damage by carriage wheels.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913