Tend

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Tend, v. t. [See Tender to offer.].

 To make a tender of; to offer or tender.  [1913 Webster]

Tend, v. t. [Aphetic form of attend. See Attend, Tend to move, and cf. Tender one that tends or attends.].

•  To accompany as an assistant or protector; to care for the wants of; to look after; to watch; to guard; as, shepherds tend their flocks.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

  "And flaming ministers to watch and tend
  Their earthly charge."  [1913 Webster]

  "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."  [1913 Webster]
•  To be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to.  [1913 Webster]

  "Being to descend
  A ladder much in height, I did not tend
  My way well down."  [1913 Webster]

To tend a vessel (Naut.), to manage an anchored vessel when the tide turns, so that in swinging she shall not entangle the cable.

Tend, v. i. 

•  To wait, as attendants or servants; to serve; to attend; -- with on or upon.  [1913 Webster]

  "Was he not companion with the riotous knights
  That tend upon my father?"  [1913 Webster]
•  To await; to expect.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Tend, v. i. [F. tendre, L. tendere, tensum and tentum, to stretch, extend, direct one's course, tend; akin to Gr. to stretch, Skr. tan. See Thin, and cf. Tend to attend, Contend, Intense, Ostensible, Portent, Tempt, Tender to offer, Tense, a.].

•  To move in a certain direction; -- usually with to or towards.  [1913 Webster]

  "Two gentlemen tending towards that sight."  [1913 Webster]

  "Thus will this latter, as the former world,
  Still tend from bad to worse."  [1913 Webster]

  "The clouds above me to the white Alps tend."  [1913 Webster]
•  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; as, our petitions, if granted, might tend to our destruction.  [1913 Webster]

  "The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want."  [1913 Webster]

  "The laws of our religion tend to the universal happiness of mankind."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Tend, v.intr.
1 (usu. foll. by to) be apt or inclined (tends to lose his temper).
2 serve, conduce.
3 be moving; be directed; hold a course (tends in our direction; tends downwards; tends to the same conclusion).

Tend, v.
1 tr. take care of, look after (a person esp. an invalid, animals esp. sheep, a machine).
2 intr. (foll. by on, upon) wait on.
3 intr. (foll. by to) esp. US give attention to.

Derivative

tendance n. archaic.

Etymology

ME f. ATTEND

THESAURUS

Tend

administer to, aim, animadvert, attend, attend on, attend to, baby-sit, bear, bed, bed down, bend to, bias, break, bridle, brush, care for, cater to, chaperon, cherish, chore, conduce, conserve, contribute, cultivate, curry, currycomb, dance attendance upon, defend, descend, dispose, do for, do service to, drench, dress, drop, drudge, favor, feed, fodder, foster, gentle, go, gravitate, groom, guard, handle, harness, have a tendency, head, heed, help, hitch, hold a heading, incline, keep watch over, labor, lackey, lead, lean, litter, look, look after, look out for, look to, maid, manage, mark, matronize, milk, mind, minister, minister to, mother, note, notice, nurse, nurture, observe, pander to, plunge, point, point to, precipitate, preserve, protect, protege, provide for, redound to, regard, remark, ride herd on, rub down, saddle, safeguard, see, see after, see to, serve, set, set toward, settle, shepherd, shield, show a tendency, sink, steer, subside, supervise, support, take care of, take charge of, take note, take notice, tame, tend to go, train, trend, turn, upon, valet, verge, view, wait, wait on, warp, watch, watch out for, watch over, water, work, work for, work toward, yoke

ROGET THESAURUS

Tend

Instrumentality

VB subserve, minister, mediate, intervene, be instrumental, pander to, officiate, tend.

Aid

VB aid, assist, help, succor, lend one's aid, come to the aid, of, contribute, subscribe to, bring aid, give aid, furnish aid, afford aid, supply aid, give a helping hand, stretch a hand, lend a helping hand, lend a hand, bear a helping hand, hold out a hand, hold out a helping hand, give one a life, give one a cast, give one a turn, take by the hand, take in tow, help a lame dog over a stile, lend wings to, relieve, rescue, set up, set agoing, set on one's legs, bear through, pull through, give new life to, be the making of, reinforce, reenforce, recruit, set forward, put forward, push forward, give a lift, give a shove, give an impulse to, promote, further, forward, advance expedite, speed, quicken, hasten, support, sustain, uphold, prop, hold up, bolster, cradle, nourish, nurture, nurse, dry nurse, suckle, put out to nurse, manure, cultivate, force, foster, cherish, foment, feed the flame, fan the flame, serve, do service to, tender to, pander to, administer to, subminister to, minister to, tend, attend, wait on, take care of, entertain, smooth the bed of death, oblige, accommodate, consult the wishes of, humor, cheer, encourage, second, stand by, back, back up, pay the piper, abet, work for, make interest for, stick up for, take up the cudgels for, take up the cause of, espouse the cause of, adopt the cause of, advocate, beat up for recruits, press into the service, squire, give moral support to, keep in countenance, countenance, patronize, lend oneself to, lend one's countenance to, smile upon, shine upon, favor, befriend, take in hand, enlist under the banners of, side with, be of use to, subserve, benefit, render a service, conduce.

Servant

VB serve, wait upon, attend upon, dance attendance upon, pin oneself upon, squire, tend, hang on the sleeve of, chore.

Tendency

VB tend, contribute, conduce, lead, dispose, incline, verge, bend to, trend, affect, carry, redound to, bid fair to, gravitate towards, promote.

Husbandry

VB tame, domesticate, acclimatize, breed, tend, break in, train, cage, bridle.