• IPA: /tɛnd/

From Middle English *tenden, from Old French tendre, from Latin tendere.

tend (tends, present participle tending; simple past and past participle tended)

1. (legal, Old English law) To make a tender of; to offer or tender.
2. (followed by a to-infinitive) To be likely, or probable to do something, or to have a certain habit or leaning. [from mid-14th c.]

   They tend to go out on Saturdays.

   It tends to snow here in winter.

3. (intransitive) To contribute to or toward some outcome.

• tense
• tension
• tent
• intend

• French: traiter de
• Italian: appaltare
• Russian: предлага́ть
• Spanish: ofrecer

• French: avoir tendance à
• German: tendieren zu
• Italian: tendere, essere probabile, propendere
• Portuguese: tender
• Russian: иметь тенденция
• Spanish: tender

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

tend (tends, present participle tending; simple past and past participle tended)

1. (with to) To look after (e.g. an ill person.) [from early 14th c.]

   We need to tend to the garden, which has become a mess.

2. To accompany as an assistant or protector; to care for the wants of; to look after; to watch; to guard.

   Shepherds tend their flocks.

   • 1847, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Threnody:

     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.

   • 1859, Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species (1859) :

     Man selects only for his own good; Nature only for that of the being which she tends.

3. To wait (upon), as attendants or servants; to serve; to attend.
   • 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]:

     Was he not companion with the riotous knights / That tend upon my father?

4. (obsolete) To await; to expect.
   • 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]:

     Had I not. Four or five women once that tended me?

5. (obsolete) To be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to.
   • 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 ↗:

     Being to descend / A ladder much in height, I did not tend / My way well down.

     The spelling has been modernized.

6. (transitive, nautical) To manage (an anchored vessel) when the tide turns, to prevent it from entangling the cable when swinging.

• (to look after) care for, minister, nurse, see to, take care of
• (to accompany as an assistant) guard, look after, watch
• (to wait upon) See also Thesaurus:serve
• (to await) See also Thesaurus:wait for
• (to be attentive to) attend to
• (to manage when the tide turns)

• German: sorgen für
• Italian: avere cura di, accudire, curare, dedicarsi
• Portuguese: cuidar de
• Russian: уха́живать
• Spanish: cuidar de, ver por, velar por

• Italian: badare, custodire, prendersi cura

• Italian: accudire, vegliare, preoccuparsi

From Middle English tenden, from Old English tendan (usually in compounds ātendan, fortendan, ontendan), from Proto-Germanic *tandijaną, of unknown origin.

tend (tends, present participle tending; simple past and past participle tended)

1. (transitive, now chiefly dialectal) To kindle; ignite; set on fire; light; inflame; burn.

• Italian: infiammare, accendere
• Russian: поджигать