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”).
Meanings
To make a tender of; to offer or tender.
(auxiliary) To be likely, or probable to do something, or to have a certain habit or leaning.
It tends to snow here in winter.
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:
I was tending to get up later and later after the breakup.
They tend to go out on Saturdays.
(intransitive) 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:
She had found in her everything that could tend to make a farther connection between the families undesirable. 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter I, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume III, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
it tendere (to be probable or likely) · gl tender (to be probable or likely) · eo emi (to be probable or likely) · it essere probabile (to be probable or likely) · he נָטָה (to be probable or likely) · ru склоня́ться (to be probable or likely) · bg насочен съм (to be probable or likely) · fi olla tapana (to be probable or likely) · fi yleensä (to be probable or likely) · es tender (to be probable or likely) · fi tarjota (to make a tender of; to offer or tender) · el τείνω (to be probable or likely) · ca tendir (to be probable or likely) · ru проявля́ть тенде́нцию (to be probable or likely) · sv tendera (to be probable or likely) · es ofrecer (to make a tender of; to offer or tender) · ru предложи́ть (to make a tender of; to offer or tender) · fi tupata (to be probable or likely) · oc ofrir (to make a tender of; to offer or tender) · es propender (to be probable or likely) · bg клоня (to be probable or likely) · fr avoir tendance à (to be probable or likely) · it appaltare (to make a tender of; to offer or tender) · ru клони́ться (to be probable or likely) · fi pyrkiä (to be probable or likely) · ru проявля́ть скло́нность (to be probable or likely) · hu szokott (to be probable or likely) · pt tender (to be probable or likely) · fi tahtoa (to be probable or likely) · zza tendene (to be probable or likely) · uk ма́ти тенде́нцію (to be probable or likely) · el ρέπω (to be probable or likely) · ru име́ть тенде́нцию (to be probable or likely) · et kippuma (to be probable or likely) · izh pruukata (to be probable or likely) · de tendieren zu (to be probable or likely) · ru предлага́ть (to make a tender of; to offer or tender) · zza tendene (to make a tender of; to offer or tender) · uk схиля́тися (to be probable or likely) · it propendere (to be probable or likely) · es estilar (to be probable or likely) · ru име́ть скло́нность (to be probable or likely) · fr traiter de (to make a tender of; to offer or tender) · oc far una ofèrta (to make a tender of; to offer or tender)
From Middle English tenden (“to pay attention to”), by apheresis of attenden (“to attend”) or entenden (“to intend”). More at attend and intend.
Meanings
(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:
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:
(transitive) To manage (an anchored vessel) when the tide turns, to prevent it from entangling the cable when swinging.
look after (to accompany as an assistant) · watch (to accompany as an assistant) · care for (to look after) · to (to look after) · minister to (to look after) · nurse (to look after) · guard (to accompany as an assistant) · attend to (to be attentive to) · take care of (to look after)
Translations (52)
hu ápol (to look after) · fi odottaa (to await, expect) · it preoccuparsi (to wait upon, attend) · eo prizorgi (to look after) · fi vartioida (to accompany as an assistant or protector) · eo zorgi (to look after) · bg обслужвам (to wait upon, attend) · it badare (to accompany as an assistant or protector) · fi huolehtia (to look after) · fi olla varovainen (to be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to) · gl coidar (to look after) · pt cuidar de (to look after) · fi hoitaa (to look after) · it custodire (to accompany as an assistant or protector) · de sorgen für (to look after) · it vegliare (to wait upon, attend) · ru забо́титься (to look after) · it dedicarsi (to look after) · mi taurima (to look after) · txb yärp- (to look after) · bg очаквам (to await, expect) · it accudire (to look after) · eo varti (to look after) · mi whāomoomo (to look after) · bg грижа се (to look after) · mi rauhī (to look after) · it curare (to look after) · fi palvella (to wait upon, attend) · mi nānā (to look after) · es velar por (to look after) · mi tūpore (to look after) · ru присма́тривать (to look after) · eo flegi (to look after) · mi whakaomoomo (to look after) · ja めんどうをみる (to look after) · cs pást (to accompany as an assistant or protector) · fi pitää huolta (to look after) · it accudire (to wait upon, attend) · it prendersi cura (to accompany as an assistant or protector) · oc velhar sus (to look after) · fi huolehtia (to accompany as an assistant or protector) · es ver por (to look after) · kw truedha (to look after) · hu gondoz (to look after) · ru уха́живать (to look after) · oc s'ocupar de (to look after) · it avere cura di (to look after) · fi varoa (to be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to) · es cuidar de (to look after) · el φροντίζω (to look after) · ro avea grijă (to look after) · zza tendene (to look after)
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.
Meanings
(dialectal, transitive) To kindle; ignite; set on fire; light; inflame; burn.