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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
defence mechanism
noun
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ And if our defence mechanism is impaired, what other dangers may we not be open to?
▪ I note this, and harp on her imperfections, as a defence mechanism.
▪ Inflammation is another internal defence mechanism and is a reaction of living tissue to infection, injury and irritants.
▪ The sea slugs therefore use the defence mechanism of another creature for their own defence.
▪ What appears to be contrary can always be assimilated as evidence of repression, or as a defence mechanism.
▪ Where did she get this automatic shutdown defence mechanism?
WordNet
defence mechanism

n. (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires [syn: defense mechanism, defense reaction, defence reaction, defense, defence]

Usage examples of "defence mechanism".

It could be a defence mechanism indicating that she was aware of a progressive illness she wants to block out.

He found himself thinking about Jackie again, a kind of defence mechanism when the going got tough.

The human body is no fool but these days it's a little old-fashioned : the defence mechanism set up to dodge the swing of a dinosaur's tail is less effective when life or death depends on the position of a needle on 4 speedometer.

The sonic assault could have been a natural defence mechanism, and an effective one, at that.

That meant that the defence mechanism-or at least part of it-still worked.

With her natural defence mechanism she can conduct a telepathic surveillance of the Supermutant without any risk whatsoever of him forcing her under his hypnotic spell.

Back too came self-ridicule and every defence mechanism under the sun.

She couldn't use her normal defence mechanism, make a joke of it, she just couldn't.

You have to have fucking feelings before detachment becomes a self-defence mechanism.

I felt I should be polite to her, listen to what she was saying, but what she could never know was the resistance that lay deep inside me, the unconscious defence mechanism a kid builds up for himself when he has been rejected.