Associations to the word «Tend»

Wiktionary

TEND, verb. (transitive) (now chiefly dialectal) To kindle; ignite; set on fire; light; inflame; burn.
TEND, verb. (legal) (Old English law) To make a tender of; to offer or tender.
TEND, verb. (followed by a to infinitive) To be likely, or probable to do something, or to have a certain characteristic. [from the mid-14th c.]
TEND, verb. (with to) To look after (e.g. an ill person.) [from the early 14th c.]
TEND, verb. To accompany as an assistant or protector; to care for the wants of; to look after; to watch; to guard.
TEND, verb. To wait (upon), as attendants or servants; to serve; to attend.
TEND, verb. (obsolete) To await; to expect.
TEND, verb. (obsolete) To be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to.
TEND, verb. (transitive) (nautical) To manage (an anchored vessel) when the tide turns, to prevent it from entangling the cable when swinging.
TEND TO ONE'S KNITTING, verb. Alternative form of stick to one's knitting
TEND TO ONE'S OWN KNITTING, verb. Alternative form of stick to one's knitting

Dictionary definition

TEND, verb. Have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined; "She tends to be nervous before her lectures"; "These dresses run small"; "He inclined to corpulence".
TEND, verb. Have care of or look after; "She tends to the children".
TEND, verb. Manage or run; "tend a store".

Wise words

Words are always getting conventionalized to some secondary meaning. It is one of the works of poetry to take the truants in custody and bring them back to their right senses.
William Butler Yeats