fight vs defend

fight is a noun but defend is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
fight	Yes	No	Yes	No
defend	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, defend is a hyponym of fight; that is, defend is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than fight:

As verbs, fight and defend are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of fight include fight back, fight down, oppose.

fight (noun)	defend (noun)
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
a boxing or wrestling match
an aggressive willingness to compete
an intense verbal dispute

fight (verb)	defend (verb)
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight	argue or speak in defense of
fight against or resist strongly	state or assert
make a strenuous or labored effort	be on the defensive; act against an attack
exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for	protect against a challenge or attack
	protect or fight for as a champion
	fight against or resist strongly
	be the defense counsel for someone in a trial