defenseman

noun

de·​fense·​man di-ˈfen(t)s-mən 

-ˌman

: a player in a sport (such as hockey) who is assigned to a defensive zone or position

Examples of defenseman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Calgary Flames Zayne Parekh is a dynamic, highly offensive defenseman, Carson Carels is a great two-way defenseman and Dustin Wolf has the potential to be a quality NHL starter. — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

As of now, the B’s will go into camp with 10 defenseman and as many as 17 or 18 legitimate candidates for NHL duty at forward. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

Murphy's plus-minus rating of +102 leads all defensemen in franchise history. — Patrick Damp, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

defenseman

noun

de·​fense·​man -mən 

-ˌman

: a player in a sport who is assigned to a defensive zone or position