Defang

Pronunciation: /dɪˈfæŋ/

Definitions of defang

verb to remove the fangs or stinger from (an animal)

Example Sentences

A1 The snake defanged the mouse before eating it.

A2 The vampire hunter defanged the vampire by removing its fangs.

B1 To defang a dangerous situation, it is important to remain calm and think rationally.

B2 The politician tried to defang the opposition's arguments by presenting strong evidence.

C1 The government's strategy to defang the terrorist organization involved cutting off their sources of funding.

C2 The renowned negotiator was able to defang the tense negotiations and reach a peaceful resolution.

Examples of defang in a Sentence

formal The snake handler carefully defanged the venomous cobra before putting on a show for the audience.

informal I had to defang my cat before taking it to the vet so they wouldn't get scratched.

slang The hacker was able to defang the security system and gain access to sensitive information.

figurative The politician tried to defang the opposition's arguments by presenting strong counterpoints.

Grammatical Forms of defang

• past tense: defanged
• plural: defangs
• comparative: more defanged
• superlative: most defanged
• present tense: defang
• future tense: will defang
• perfect tense: have defanged
• continuous tense: is defanging
• singular: defang
• positive degree: defang
• infinitive: to defang
• gerund: defanging
• participle: defanged

Origin and Evolution of defang

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The word 'defang' originated from the combination of the prefix 'de-' meaning 'remove' and the word 'fang' referring to a sharp tooth or a venomous animal's tooth.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in the literal sense of removing the fangs of venomous animals to render them harmless, 'defang' has evolved to also mean disarming or making something less threatening or powerful in a figurative sense.