(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is someone who has won the first prize in a competition, contest, or fight.
...a former Olympic ~...
Kasparov became world ~.
...a ~ boxer and skier.
N-COUNT: usu with supp
2.
If you are a ~ of a person, a cause, or a principle, you support or defend them.
He was once known as a ~ of social reform.
N-COUNT: with supp, usu N of n
3.
If you ~ a person, a cause, or a principle, you support or defend them.
He passionately ~ed the poor...
The amendments had been ~ed by pro-democracy activists.
VERB: V n, V n