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Bend
Definitions
- 1 A ghost town and former railway community in central British Columbia, Canada. Named after a 90-degree curve in the railway line.
- 2 A census-designated place in Tehama County, California, United States.
- 3 An unincorporated community in Maries County, Missouri, United States.
- 4 A city, the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States.
"Many locals thought doing so contradicted the democratic spirit of skiing, where strangers sharing a lift chair might include both billionaires with second homes in Bend and ski bums living in vans."
- 5 An unincorporated community in Meade County, South Dakota, United States.
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- 6 An unincorporated community in Lampasas County and San Saba County, Texas, United States.
- 7 A surname.
- 1 A curve.
"There's a sharp bend in the road ahead."
- 2 curved segment (of a road or river or railroad track etc.) wordnet
- 3 Any of the various knots which join the ends of two lines.
"A simpler version of the common bend with its ends in the same direction is used to join binder twine in a hay baling machine."
- 4 diagonal line traversing a shield from the upper right corner to the lower left wordnet
- 5 A severe condition caused by excessively quick decompression, causing bubbles of nitrogen to form in the blood; decompression sickness. in-plural
"A diver who stays deep for too long must ascend very slowly in order to prevent the bends."
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- 6 movement that causes the formation of a curve wordnet
- 7 One of the honourable ordinaries formed by two diagonal lines drawn from the dexter chief to the sinister base; it generally occupies a fifth part of the shield if uncharged, but if charged one third.
"Perhaps the most celebrated coat of arms is that of Scrope, which is Azure a bend Or. This is the coat over which, from 1385 to 1390, Sir Robert le Grosvenor and Sir Richard le Scrope invoked the High Court of Chivalry to decide which of them had the right to bear these arms. Chaucer gave evidence before the court. In the end the arms were awarded to Scrope, and Grosvenor was ordered to difference with a bordure Argent. This he disdained to do, and being highly dissatisfied with the verdict he appealed to Richard II who altered the decision of the court by refusing to allow the bend to Grosvenor at all! Grosvenor then adopted a garb, or sheaf of corn."
- 8 a circular segment of a curve wordnet
- 9 Turn; purpose; inclination; ends. obsolete
"Farewell, poor swain; thou art not for my bend."
- 10 an angular or rounded shape made by folding wordnet
- 11 In the leather trade, the best quality of sole leather; a butt; sometimes, half a butt cut lengthwise.
- 12 Hard, indurated clay; bind.
- 13 The thickest and strongest planks in a ship's sides, more generally called wales, which have the beams, knees, and futtocks bolted to them. in-plural
- 14 The frames or ribs that form the ship's body from the keel to the top of the sides. in-plural
"the midship bends"
- 15 A glissando, or glide between one pitch and another, especially one accomplished by bending a string (such as on guitar).
- 1 To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means. transitive
"If you bend the pipe too far, it will break."
- 2 cause (an object) to assume a crooked or angular form wordnet
- 3 To become curved. intransitive
"Look at the trees bending in the wind."
- 4 bend a joint wordnet
- 5 To cause to change direction. transitive
"Bend thine ear to supplication."
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- 6 change direction wordnet
- 7 To change direction. intransitive
"The road bends to the right."
- 8 turn from a straight course, fixed direction, or line of interest wordnet
- 9 To be inclined; to direct itself. intransitive
"to whom our vows and wishes bend"
- 10 form a curve wordnet
- 11 To stoop. intransitive, usually
"He bent down to pick up the pieces."
- 12 bend one's back forward from the waist on down wordnet
- 13 To bow in prayer, or in token of submission. intransitive
"Each to his great Father bends."
- 14 To force to submit. transitive
"They bent me to their will."
- 15 To submit. intransitive
"I am bending to my desire to eat junk food."
- 16 To apply to a task or purpose. transitive
"He bent the company's resources to gaining market share."
- 17 To apply oneself to a task or purpose. intransitive
"He bent to the goal of gaining market share."
- 18 To adapt or interpret to for a purpose or beneficiary. transitive
"Palladius did not lie, although he might have bent the facts a bit and even passed over in silence whatever might not have benefited his client's cause."
- 19 To tie, as in securing a line to a cleat; to shackle a chain to an anchor; make fast. transitive
"Bend the sail to the yard."
- 20 To smoothly change the pitch of a note. transitive
"You should bend the G slightly sharp in the next measure."
- 21 To swing the body when rowing. intransitive
Etymology
From Middle English benden, from Old English bendan (“to bind or bend (a bow), fetter, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bandijan, from Proto-Germanic *bandijaną (“to bend”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to bind, tie”). Cognate with Middle High German benden (“to fetter”), Danish bænde (“to bend”), Norwegian bende (“to bend”), Faroese benda (“to bend, inflect”), Icelandic benda (“to bend”). Related to bind, band, bond.
From Middle English benden, from Old English bendan (“to bind or bend (a bow), fetter, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bandijan, from Proto-Germanic *bandijaną (“to bend”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to bind, tie”). Cognate with Middle High German benden (“to fetter”), Danish bænde (“to bend”), Norwegian bende (“to bend”), Faroese benda (“to bend, inflect”), Icelandic benda (“to bend”). Related to bind, band, bond.
Most places get their name from bends in rivers.
See also for "bend"
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