obránce

Obránce is a Czech noun meaning defender or protector. It refers to a person who defends someone or something, or to a role dedicated to defense. The term is common in sports to designate a defensive player, for example in football (soccer) and ice hockey, where the obránce is responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring.

In broader use, obránce describes a defender in military, police, or security contexts, such as someone tasked with guarding a place, a group, or a strategic asset. The word is also found in historical discussions of defense and protection, where the defender is contrasted with the attacker or with the concept of defense itself (obrana).

Etymology and form: Obránce derives from the Czech verb bránit, meaning to defend. The noun is formed with the agentive suffix -ec, yielding obránce. It is a masculine noun, with the plural obránci used for multiple defenders. The term shares semantic roots with related words such as obrana (defense) and obránce can be used in various contexts to emphasize the act or role of defending.

Usage note: In Czech, obránce is not used to mean a defense attorney; the standard term for that role is obhájce or, more generally, advokát. Obránce tends to refer to a defender in a person-to-person or positional sense, rather than a legal advocate.

Other uses: Obránce may appear as a surname or in names of places or organizations in Czech-speaking areas, though such usage is not common and is highly context-dependent.