Bend
Pronunciation
- enPR: ĕnd, IPA: /bɛnd/
- pin-pen IPA: /bɪnd/
- Rhymes: -ɛnd
Origin
From Middle English benden, from Old English bendan ("to bind or bend (a bow), fetter, restrain"), 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"). More at band.
Full definition of bend
Verb
- (transitive) To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.If you bend the pipe too far, it will break.Don’t bend your knees.
- (intransitive) To become curved.Look at the trees bending in the wind.
- (transitive) To cause to change direction.
- MiltonBend thine ear to supplication.
- ShakespeareTowards Coventry bend we our course.
- Sir Walter Scottbending her eyes ... upon her parent
- (intransitive) To change direction.The road bends to the right
- (intransitive) To be inclined; to direct itself.
- Miltonto whom our vows and wishes bend
- (intransitive, usually with "down") To stoop.He bent down to pick up the pieces.
- (intransitive) To bow in prayer, or in token of submission.
- ColeridgeEach to his great Father bends.
- (transitive) To force to submit.They bent me to their will.
- Shakespeareexcept she bend her humour
- (intransitive) To submit.I am bending to my desire to eat junk food.
- (transitive) To apply to a task or purpose.He bent the company's resources to gaining market share.
- Templeto bend his mind to any public business
- Alexander Popewhen to mischief mortals bend their will
- (intransitive) To apply oneself to a task or purpose.He bent to the goal of gaining market share.
- (transitive) To adapt or interpret to for a purpose or beneficiary.
- (transitive, nautical) To tie, as in securing a line to a cleat; to shackle a chain to an anchor; make fast.Bend the sail to the yard.
- (transitive, music) To smoothly change the pitch of a note.You should bend the G slightly sharp in the next measure.
- (intransitive, nautical) To swing the body when rowing.
Derived terms
Noun
bend
(plural bends)- A curve.
- 1968, Johnny Cash, I hear the train a comin'/It's rolling round the bend
- 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 1, I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn.
- There's a sharp bend in the road ahead.
- (nautical) Any of the various knots which join the ends of two lines. or the end of a line into some other object; (the latter are called hitch)
- Note: In naval parlance, a knot involves splicing the strands of a rope.
- (in the plural, medicine, diving, with the) A severe condition caused by excessively quick decompression, causing bubbles of nitrogen to form in the blood; decompression sickness.A diver who stays deep for too long must ascend very slowly in order to prevent the bends.
- (heraldiccharge) 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.
- (obsolete) Turn; purpose; inclination; ends.
- FletcherFarewell, poor swain; thou art not for my bend.
- In the leather trade, the best quality of sole leather; a butt.
- (mining) Hard, indurated clay; bind.
- (nautical, in the plural) The thickest and strongest planks in a ship's sides, more generally called wales, which have the beams, knees, and futtocks bolted to them.
- (nautical, in the plural) The frames or ribs that form the ship's body from the keel to the top of the sides.the midship bends