tend meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

tend

verb

/ˈtɛnd/ · /ˈtɪnd/

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

Law To make a tender of; to offer or tender.

To be likely, or probable to do something, or to have a certain habit or leaning.

They tend to go out on Saturdays.
It tends to snow here in winter.

2 more examples

I was tending to get up later and later after the breakup.
Difficult broken country extends almost to the coast between Swatow (Shant’ou) on the south and Hangchow on the north, and this succession of barriers has tended to cut off southeast coastal China from the main body of the country.1961, Rhoads Murphey, “The Middle Kingdom: Splendid Isolation”, in An Introduction to Geography (Rand McNally Geography Series), Chicago: Rand McNally & Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 418, column 1:

To contribute to or toward some outcome.

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.1812, William Cobbett, The Parliamentary History of England:

Derived terms: tendency
Related terms: intend, tense, tension, tent, be given to

tend

verb

Etymology From Middle English tenden (“to pay attention to”), by apheresis of attenden (“to attend”) or entenden (“to intend”). More at attend and intend.

With to To look after (e.g. an ill person.)

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

To accompany as an assistant or protector; to care for the wants of; to look after; to watch; to guard.

Shepherds tend their flocks.
There's not a sparrow or a wren, / There's not a blade of autumn grain, / Which the four seasons do not tend / And tides of life and increase lend.1847, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Threnody:

1 more example

Man selects only for his own good; Nature only for that of the being which she tends.1859, Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species (1859) :

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

Was he not companion with the riotous knights / That tend upon my father?c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

Obsolete To await; to expect.

Had I not. Four or five women once that tended me?1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

Obsolete To be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to.

Being to descend / A ladder much in height, I did not tend / My way well down.1614–1615, Homer, “(please specify the book number)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615, →OCLC; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volume (please specify the book number), London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857, →OCLC:

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

Synonyms: care for, minister to, nurse, to, take care of, guard, look after, watch, attend to
Derived terms: bartend, goaltend, mistend, tend bar, tendment, tend to one's knitting, tend to one's own knitting, untended

tend

verb

Etymology 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.

Dialectal To kindle; ignite; set on fire; light; inflame; burn.

Derived terms: attend

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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Conjugation of “tend”, all tenses