bend

Pronunciation

• enPR: ĕnd, IPA: /bɛnd/
• (pin–pen merger) IPA: /bɪnd/

Verb

bend (third-person singular simple present bends, present participle bending, simple past and past participle bent or (archaic) bended)

1. (transitive) To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.
   • If you bend the pipe too far, it will break.
   • Don’t bend your knees.
2. (intransitive) To become curved.
   • Look at the trees bending in the wind.
3. (transitive) To cause to change direction.
4. (intransitive) To change direction.
   • The road bends to the right.
5. (intransitive) To be inclined; to direct itself.
6. (intransitive, usually with "down") To stoop.
   • He bent down to pick up the pieces.
7. (intransitive) To bow in prayer, or in token of submission.
8. (transitive) To force to submit.
   • They bent me to their will.
9. (intransitive) To submit.
   • I am bending to my desire to eat junk food.
10. (transitive) To apply to a task or purpose.
    • He bent the company's resources to gaining market share.
11. (intransitive) To apply oneself to a task or purpose.
    • He bent to the goal of gaining market share.
12. (transitive) To adapt or interpret to for a purpose or beneficiary.
13. (transitive, nautical) To tie, as in securing a line to a cleat; to shackle a chain to an anchor; make fast.
    • Bend the sail to the yard.
14. (transitive, music) To smoothly change the pitch of a note.
    • You should bend the G slightly sharp in the next measure.
15. (intransitive, nautical) To swing the body when rowing.

Noun

bend (plural bends)

1. A curve.
   • There's a sharp bend in the road ahead.
2. Any of the various knots which join the ends of two lines.
3. (in the plural, medicine, underwater diving, with the) A severe condition caused by excessively quick decompression, causing bubbles of nitrogen to form in the blood; decompression sickness.
   • A diver who stays deep for too long must ascend very slowly in order to prevent the bends.
4. (heraldry) One of the honourable ordinaries formed by two diagonal lines drawn from the dexter chief to the sinister base; it generally occupies a fifth part of the shield if uncharged, but if charged one third.
   • Coordinate terms: bendlet, cost, garter, riband, baton, scrape
5. (obsolete) Turn; purpose; inclination; ends.
6. In the leather trade, the best quality of sole leather; a butt; sometimes, half a butt cut lengthwise.
7. (mining) Hard, indurated clay; bind.
8. (nautical, in the plural) The thickest and strongest planks in a ship's sides, more generally called wales, which have the beams, knees, and futtocks bolted to them.
9. (nautical, in the plural) The frames or ribs that form the ship's body from the keel to the top of the sides.
   • the midship bends
10. (music) A glissando, or glide between one pitch and another.

Related terms

• bent

Anagrams

• D. Neb.

Noun

bend m

1. pond, water reservoir
2. idle or provocative words
3. servant, henchman

Noun

bend ?

1. slave

Noun

bend n (definite singular bendet, indefinite plural bend, definite plural benda)

1. a bend
2. a bent position
3. a butt on a thick rope

Participle

bend (neuter bendt, definite singular and plural bende)

1. past participle of benda

Verb

bend

1. imperative of benda

Participle

bend

1. inflection of bendr:
   1. strong feminine nominative singular
   2. strong neuter nominative/accusative plural

Verb

bend

1. second-person singular active imperative of benda

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA: /ˈbẽd͡ʒi/

Noun

bend m (plural bends)

1. (music, electric guitar) bend (change in pitch produced by bending a string)

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bênd/

Noun

bȅnd m (Cyrillic spelling бе̏нд)

1. (music) band (group of musicians)