• IPA: /mɛnd/

mend (plural mends)

1. A place, as in clothing, which has been repaired by mending.
2. The act of repairing.

   My trousers have a big rip in them and need a mend.

• Portuguese: remendo
• Russian: запла́тка
• Spanish: remiendo

• Portuguese: conserto, reparo
• Russian: почи́нка

mend (mends, present participle mending; past and past participle mended)

1. (transitive) To repair, as anything that is torn, broken, defaced, decayed, or the like; to restore from partial decay, injury, or defacement.

   My trousers have a big rip in them and need mending.

   When your car breaks down, you can take it to the garage to have it mended.

2. (transitive) To alter for the better; to set right; to reform; hence, to quicken; as, to mend one's manners or pace.

   Her stutter was mended by a speech therapist.

   My broken heart was mended.

   • Sir W. Temple

     The best service they could do the state was to mend the lives of the persons who composed it.

3. (transitive) To help, to advance, to further; to add to.
   • Mortimer

     Though in some lands the grass is but short, yet it mends garden herbs and fruit.

   • c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act 1, scene 1]:

     You mend the jewel by the wearing it.

4. (intransitive) To grow better; to advance to a better state; to become improved.

• See also Thesaurus:repair

• French: réparer, raccommoder
• German: reparieren, flicken
• Italian: riparare
• Portuguese: consertar, reparar
• Russian: исправля́ть
• Spanish: remendar, emendar, reparar

• French: rapiécer
• Italian: rammendare
• Portuguese: remendar
• Russian: зашивать
• Spanish: remendar

• Portuguese: melhorar
• Russian: улучша́ться