Fend Definition
fĕnd
fended, fending, fends
verb
fended, fending, fends
To ward off. Often used with off:
Fend off an attack.
American Heritage
To defend.
Webster's New World
To resist; parry.
Webster's New World
To attempt to manage without assistance.
Had to fend for ourselves until we were rescued.
American Heritage
(intransitive) To take care of oneself, to take responsibility for oneself.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
idiom
fend for oneself
- to manage by oneself; get along without help
Webster's New World
fend off
- to ward off
Webster's New World
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Fend
Origin of Fend
-
From Middle English, from Old English fēond (“adversary, foe, enemy, fiend, devil, Satan”). More at fiend.
From Wiktionary
From Middle English fenden (“defend, fight, prevent”), shortening of defenden (“defend”)
From Wiktionary
-
Middle English fenden short for defenden to defend defend
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Fend Is Also Mentioned In
Find Similar Words
Find similar words to fend using the buttons below.