Baretti: A dictionary of the English and Italian languages
Difénd-ere, v. a. (pass. dife-si, Difénd-se, Difénd-sero, part. Difénd-so,)
1. to defend, protect, guard, support, uphold.— un'opinione, to maintain an opinion; 2. to preserve, keep from; 3. to prohibit, bar, keep from, forbid; v. r. to defend one's self from;s. m. Difénd-itóre, f. Difénd-itríce; adj. Difénd-énte.
Florio: a worlde of wordes, or most copious, dictionarie in Italian and English