Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To have a tendency.
  • intransitive verb To be disposed or inclined.
  • intransitive verb To move or extend in a certain direction.
  • intransitive verb To have the care of; watch over; look after.
  • intransitive verb To manage the activities and transactions of; run.
  • intransitive verb To be an attendant or servant.
  • intransitive verb To apply one's attention; attend.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • See tind.
  • To reach out; offer; tender.
  • To move or be directed, literally or figuratively; hold a course.
  • To have a tendency to operate in some particular direction or way; have a bent or inclination to effective action in some particular direction; aim or serve more or less effectively and directly: commonly followed by an infinitive: as, exercise tends to strengthen the muscles.
  • To serve, contribute, or conduce in some degree or way; be influential in some direction, or in promoting some purpose or interest; have a more or less direct bearing or effect (upon something).
  • Synonyms To incline, lean, verge, trend.
  • To conduce.
  • Obsolete past participle of teen.
  • To attend; wait upon as an assistant or protector; guard.
  • To look after; take care of; have the charge, care, or supervision of: as, to tend a machine; to tend a flock; to tend a sick person.
  • To be attentive to; attend to; be mindful of; mind.
  • To wait upon so as to execute; be prepared to perform.
  • Nautical, to watch, as a vessel at anchor, at the turn of tides, and cast her by the helm, and by some sail if necessary, so as to keep turns out of her cable.
  • To attend; wait as an attendant or servant: with on or upon.
  • To be in waiting; be ready for service; attend.
  • To be attentive; listen.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To wait, as attendants or servants; to serve; to attend; -- with on or upon.
  • intransitive verb obsolete To await; to expect.
  • intransitive verb To move in a certain direction; -- usually with to or towards.
  • intransitive verb To be directed, as to any end, object, or purpose; to aim; to have or give a leaning; to exert activity or influence; to serve as a means; to contribute.
  • transitive verb (O. Eng. Law), obsolete To make a tender of; to offer or tender.
  • transitive verb To accompany as an assistant or protector; to care for the wants of; to look after; to watch; to guard.
  • transitive verb To be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to.
  • transitive verb (Naut.) to manage an anchored vessel when the tide turns, so that in swinging she shall not entangle the cable.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To make a tender of; to offer or tender.
  • verb transitive To kindle; ignite; set on fire; light; inflame; burn.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb have care of or look after
  • verb manage or run
  • verb have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English tenden, from Old French tendre, from Latin tendere; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English tenden, short for attenden, to wait on; see attend.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

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

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

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

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

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

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Examples

  • Patronising dissertations that attempt to lump together all forms of “gender variance” under one term tend to not help.

    Trans Identity–Sex Changes, Race Changes, Drag, and Passing 2006

  • "The band and the label tend to deal with bootleg shirts on a case by case basis, acknowledging the vast difference between kids screening shirts for friends and professional printing studios screening shirts for profit.

    Pitchfork: Latest News 2009

  • "The band and the label tend to deal with bootleg shirts on a case by case basis, acknowledging the vast difference between kids screening shirts for friends and professional printing studios screening shirts for profit.

    Pitchfork: Latest News 2009

  • "The band and the label tend to deal with bootleg shirts on a case by case basis, acknowledging the vast difference between kids screening shirts for friends and professional printing studios screening shirts for profit.

    Pitchfork: Latest News 2009

  • "The band and the label tend to deal with bootleg shirts on a case by case basis, acknowledging the vast difference between kids screening shirts for friends and professional printing studios screening shirts for profit.

    Pitchfork: Latest News 2009

  • "The band and the label tend to deal with bootleg shirts on a case by case basis, acknowledging the vast difference between kids screening shirts for friends and professional printing studios screening shirts for profit.

    Pitchfork: Latest News 2009

  • I have personally always found that people of Indian origin tend to be much more friendly, hard working, and easier to get on with than those who originate from a certain neighbouring country and incidentally dominate parts of the West Midlands. on March 16, 2010 at 1: 22 pm ExTrafficbiker

    Police Search Too Few White People SHOCK!! « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2010

  • Why does not Mr “Sup in tend” give you a credit card [unlimited of course] go down to the Pig and whistle, and buy a few rounds then tape the answers, and post them on U Tube.

    You Get What You Want – You Are Happy SHOCK! « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2010

  • People who use that term tend to start talking gibberish, without intending to.

    Smart people + big report = dreamy nonsense 2011

  • Customers planning cloud projects in the near term tend to run VMware; those focused on cost often go with Microsoft or Citrix.

    Virtualization ROI Rises, Cloud Confusion Steals Spotlight 2010

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