Forms: 6–7 tende, 6 Sc. teind, 4– tend. See also TENT v.5 [In branch I, a. F. tend-re (11th c.):—L. tendĕre to stretch, stretch out, extend, also intr. for tendere cursum, gressum, passus, to direct one’s course, one’s steps, to proceed in any direction. The main sense-development took place in L. and F., and the Eng. sense-groups II and III have been taken in at different times, and not in logical order.]
1. To have a motion or disposition to move towards, and derived senses. [= OF. tendre (11th c.), L. tendĕre intr.]
1. intr. To direct one’s course, make one’s way, move or proceed towards something. a. lit. of persons or things in motion. Obs. or arch.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1781. To me tended þei nouȝt, but tok forþ here wey wilfulli to sum wildernesse.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 10797. Wheder that euery goode Pylgryme Tendyth in his pylgrymage.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxix. 29. Tending to ane uther place, A journay going everie day.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 183. Thither let us tend from off the tossing of these fiery waves.
1745. Paraphr. Sc. Ch., XXVII. xi. As the Rains from Heaven distil Nor thither tend again.
b. Of a road, course, journey, series of things.
1574. Calr. Scott. Papers, V. 9. Leith wes his port quhair-unto his course teindit.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 256. Arches … whose Joints tend to the Center.
1863. Hawthorne, Our Old Home (1879), 64. A green lane … tended towards a square, gray tower.
1873. Black, Pr. Thule, xxv. Understanding that their voyage should tend in that direction.
c. intr. To have a natural inclination to move (in some direction). (Cf. 2, 3.)
1641. Wilkins, Math. Magick, I. ii. (1648), 12. Whereby condensed bodies do of themselves tend downwards.
1711. Pope, Temp. Fame, 429. As weighty bodies to the centre tend.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., IV. vii. (1869), II. 217. That part of the capital … which … tended and inclined, if I may say so, towards the East India trade.
1828. Hutton, Course Math., II. 140. The power or force in moving bodies, by which they continually tend from their present places.
1834. Mrs. Somerville, Connex. Phys. Sc., xxxvii. (1849), 432. Though the stars in every region of the sky tend towards a point in Hercules.
2. intr. fig. To have a disposition to advance, go on, come finally, or attain to (unto, towards) some point in time, degree, quality, state, or other non-material category; to be drawn to or towards in affection.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., I. pr. vi. 17 (Camb. MS.). Remembres thow … whider þat the entensy[o]n of alle kynde tendeth?
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., lv. 238 (Harl. MS.). Whenne I saide þat oþer was thi childe, þou tendeist al to him, and dispisidist þat oþere.
1538. Elyot, Specto..., to behold,… to tende to some conclusion.
1581. Pettie, Guazzo’s Civ. Conv., III. (1586), 127 b. Nature alwaies tendeth to the best.
1659. Pearson, Creed (1839), 110. Towards the setting of the sun, when the light of the world was tending unto a night of darkness.
1776. Burke, Corr. (1844), II. 96. It is to this point all their speeches, writings, and intrigues of all sorts, tend.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), VI. 517. The trust being expressly limited for life, the same did not tend to a perpetuity.
1868. H. W. Beecher, Sermons, II. 226. At first view every thing apparently tends toward freedom and full development. Men fail to see, however, that while there is one tendency toward liberty, there is another toward restraint.
1893. J. A. Hodges, Elem. Photogr. (1907), 157. Their use … certainly tends in the direction of uniformity.
b. Tending to, approaching (in quality, color, etc.); having a tendency to.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy., III. 51. A temperate aire rather tending to cold.
1615. W. Lawson, Country Housew. Gard. (1626), 18. A faire and broad leafe, in colour tending to a greenish yellow.
3. intr. To have a specified result, if allowed to act; to lead or conduce to some state or condition. Const. to, rarely against.
1560. Bible (Genev.), Prov. x. 16. The labour of the righteous tendeth to life.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 289. The place doth not greatly tend vnto tranquillity.
1729. Law, Serious C., xxii. (1732), 441. [Not to] do anything to us, but what certainly tended to our benefit.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), IV. 558. The register acts would tend much more to the security of purchasers and mortgagees … if it were established [etc.].
1847. Helps, Friends in C., I. iii. 34. To indulge in despair as a habit … manifestly tends against nature.
1868. Farrar, Silence & V., ii. (1875), 35. We know that righteousness tendeth to life.
b. To lead or conduce to some action. (a) Const. to with noun of action.
1565. Reg. Privy Council Scot., I. 36. Tending to the furthsetting of thair Majesteis autoritie.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxiii. 126. Other acts tending to the conservation of the Peace.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. xv. 422. Such declaration cannot now tend to the reformation of the parties.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iv. I. 484. None of ihem said anything tending to his vindication.
1874. Green, Short Hist., ii. § 5. 82. The King’s reforms tended directly to the increase of the royal power.
(b) Const. to with inf.
1604. Bacon, Apol., Wks. 1879, I. 436. A sonnet directly tending and alluding to draw on her Majesty’s reconcilement to my lord.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., III. iv. § 10. It may further tend to clear the truth of the Scriptures.
1710. Lond. Gaz., No. 4688/2. All the … Warlike Preparations … tended only to amuse the King of Sweden.
1800. Med. Jrnl., IV. 337. If they tend in the least to diminish the sufferings of the child.
1851. Carpenter, Man. Phys. (ed. 2), 378. It tends to undergo a rapid and complete degeneration.
1879. M. Arnold, Mixed Ess., Democr., 10. To live in a society of equals tends … to make a man’s spirits expand.
4. Naut. Of a ship at anchor: To swing round with the turn of the tide or wind.
1770. Cook, Voy. round World, III. ix. (1773), III. 651. In the mean time, as the ship tended, I weighed anchor.
1776, 1867. [see tending below].
1794. Rigging & Seamanship, II. 299. The ship begins to tend to leeward.
1828. Webster, Tend … to swing round an anchor, as a ship.
b. trans. (app. a causal use of prec.; in quot. 1867, erroneously associated with TEND v.1 6).
1794. Rigging & Seamanship, II. 300. To tend a ship for a weather side. The simplest way of tending a ship, is to keep each tide to leeward of her anchor.
1815. Burney, Falconer’s Dict. Marine, 553/1. To Tend … is to turn or swing a ship round when at single anchor, or moored by the head in a tide-way, at the beginning of the flood or ebb. Ibid. To Tend a Ship with the Wind a few points across the Tide.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Tend, to watch a vessel at anchor on the turn of a tide, and cast her by the helm, and some sail if necessary, so as to keep the cable clear of the anchor or turns out of her cables when moored.
II. [= F. tendre.]
† 5. trans. To offer, proffer; spec. in Law = TENDER v.1 1. Obs.
1475. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 148/1. Uppon the same Travers tended, or title shewed.
1483–4. Act 1 Rich. III., c. 6 § 1. The seid defendaunt … may … tende an issue [F. de tendre issue], that the same contract … was not … made within the feire tyme.
1529. Act 21 Hen. VIII., c. 5 § 1. Suche testament beyng laufully tended or offred to them to be proved.
b. To furnish, provide, supply; to reach or hand (a thing) to some one. Obs. exc. dial.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 130. Dilligent in tending and prouiding all things necessary.
1882. Jago, Cornwall Gloss., s.v., One boy tended the stones as the other threw them at the apples.
† 6. intr. To extend, stretch, or reach (to a point, or in a particular direction). Also fig. Obs.
1604. E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, VI. vi. 444. All the knowledge of the Chinois, tendes only to read and write, and no farther.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 223. That huge tract of Land, which tendeth from Cape Aguer, to Cape Guardafu.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 145. The land tending to the west.
III. [Later senses from F. tendre and L. tendĕre.]
† 7. trans. To stretch, make tense or taut; to set (a trap, snare, etc.). Obs.
1646. H. Lawrence, Comm. Angells, 45. Their nets are alwayes spread; they tende their snares alwayes.
1677. Plot, Oxfordsh., 289. The longer, or less tended, any string is, the farther it moves.
1799, 1834. [see TENDED ppl. a.2].
† 8. To bend or direct (one’s steps): cf. L. tendere gressum, passus. Obs.
1611. Rich, Honest. Age (Percy Soc.), 17. Whether will you tend your steppes.
a. 1644. Quarles, Sol. Recant., ch. III. xx. Both tend Their paces to the self-same Journies end.
† 9. To relate or refer to; to concern. (trans., or intr. with to.) Obs.
1571. Sir R. Lane, in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), I. 224. I have received your letter with a packet…. The matter which they do tend indeed requireth speed.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 156. My taulke tendeth to matters of such moment and weight.
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. lxxi. (1739), 196. The rule foregoing tended only to Freemen and their Lands.
1654. Marvell, Corr., Wks. (Grosart), II. 11. Which I attributed to our dispatch, and some other businesse tendinge thereto.
Hence Tending vbl. sb.2
1587. Golding, De Mornay, ii. (1592), 18. The whole worlde and all things contayned therein, do by their tending vnto vs, teach vs to tend vnto one alone.
1846. D. King, Lord’s Supper, vi. 175. It is all outward in its tendings.
b. Naut. 1776. Falconer, Dict. Marine, Tending, the movement by which a ship turns or swings round her anchor in a tide-way, at the beginning of the flood or ebb.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Tending, the movement by which a ship turns or swings round when at single anchor, or moored by the head, at every change of tide or wind.
