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Tend

//tɛnd// verb

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To make a tender of; to offer or tender.
  2. 2
    To look after (e.g. an ill person.)

    "We need to tend to the garden, which has become a mess."

  3. 3
    To kindle; ignite; set on fire; light; inflame; burn. dialectal, transitive
  4. 4
    manage or run wordnet
  5. 5
    To be likely, or probable to do something, or to have a certain habit or leaning. auxiliary

    "They tend to go out on Saturdays."

Show 8 more definitions
  1. 6
    To accompany as an assistant or protector; to care for the wants of; to look after; to watch; to guard.

    "Shepherds tend their flocks."

  2. 7
    have care of or look after wordnet
  3. 8
    To contribute to or toward some outcome. intransitive

    "The Lords in 1722 declared that annexing such Clauses tends to the destruction of this government. And yet there are such bills every session and you pass them."

  4. 9
    To wait (upon), as attendants or servants; to serve; to attend.

    "Was he not companion with the riotous knights / That tend upon my father?"

  5. 10
    have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined wordnet
  6. 11
    To await; to expect. obsolete

    "Had I not. Four or five women once that tended me?"

  7. 12
    To be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to. obsolete

    "Being to descend / A ladder much in height, I did not tend / My way well down."

  8. 13
    To manage (an anchored vessel) when the tide turns, to prevent it from entangling the cable when swinging. transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English *tenden, from Old French tendre (“to stretch, stretch out, hold forth, offer, tender”), from Latin tendere (“to stretch, stretch out, extend, spread out”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English tenden, by apheresis of attenden (“to attend”). More at attend.

Etymology 3

From Middle English tenden, from Old English tendan (“to kindle, set on fire”) (usually in compounds ātendan, fortendan, ontendan), from Proto-Germanic *tandijaną (“to kindle”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Danish tænde (“to kindle”), Swedish tända (“to ignite”), Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (tandjan, “to kindle”), Icelandic tendra (“to ignite”), German zünden (“to light, ignite, fire”). Related to tinder.

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