tend

tend
    v 1: have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be
         inclined; "She tends to be nervous before her lectures";
         "These dresses run small"; "He inclined to corpulence"
         [syn: {tend}, {be given}, {lean}, {incline}, {run}]
    2: have care of or look after; "She tends to the children"
    3: manage or run; "tend a store"
    

Tend \Tend\, v. i.
   1. To wait, as attendants or servants; to serve; to attend;
      -- with on or upon.
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            Was he not companion with the riotous knights
            That tend upon my father?             --Shak.
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   2. [F. attendre.] To await; to expect. [Obs.] --Shak.
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Tend \Tend\, v. t. [See {Tender} to offer.] (O. Eng. Law)
   To make a tender of; to offer or tender. [Obs.]
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Tend \Tend\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Tended}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Tending}.] [Aphetic form of attend. See {Attend}, {Tend} to
   move, and cf. {Tender} one that tends or attends.]
   1. To accompany as an assistant or protector; to care for the
      wants of; to look after; to watch; to guard; as, shepherds
      tend their flocks. --Shak.
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            And flaming ministers to watch and tend
            Their earthly charge.                 --Milton.
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            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.  --Emerson.
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   2. To be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to.
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            Being to descend
            A ladder much in height, I did not tend
            My way well down.                     --Chapman.
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   {To tend a vessel} (Naut.), to manage an anchored vessel when
      the tide turns, so that in swinging she shall not entangle
      the cable.
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Tend \Tend\, v. i. [F. tendre, L. tendere, tensum and tentum, to
   stretch, extend, direct one's course, tend; akin to Gr. ? to
   stretch, Skr. tan. See {Thin}, and cf. {Tend} to attend,
   {Contend}, {Intense}, {Ostensible}, {Portent}, {Tempt},
   {Tender} to offer, {Tense}, a.]
   1. To move in a certain direction; -- usually with to or
      towards.
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            Two gentlemen tending towards that sight. --Sir H.
                                                  Wotton.
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            Thus will this latter, as the former world,
            Still tend from bad to worse.         --Milton.
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            The clouds above me to the white Alps tend. --Byron.
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   2. To be directed, as to any end, object, or purpose; to aim;
      to have or give a leaning; to exert activity or influence;
      to serve as a means; to contribute; as, our petitions, if
      granted, might tend to our destruction.
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            The thoughts of the diligent tend only to
            plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only
            to want.                              --Prov. xxi.
                                                  5.
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            The laws of our religion tend to the universal
            happiness of mankind.                 --Tillotson.
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133 Moby Thesaurus words for "tend":
      administer to, aim, animadvert, attend, attend on, attend to,
      baby-sit, bear, bed, bed down, bend to, bias, break, bridle, brush,
      care for, cater to, chaperon, cherish, chore, conduce, conserve,
      contribute, cultivate, curry, currycomb, dance attendance upon,
      defend, descend, dispose, do for, do service to, drench, dress,
      drop, drudge, favor, feed, fodder, foster, gentle, go, gravitate,
      groom, guard, handle, harness, have a tendency, head, heed, help,
      hitch, hold a heading, incline, keep watch over, labor, lackey,
      lead, lean, litter, look, look after, look out for, look to, maid,
      manage, mark, matronize, milk, mind, minister, minister to, mother,
      note, notice, nurse, nurture, observe, pander to, plunge, point,
      point to, precipitate, preserve, protect, protege, provide for,
      redound to, regard, remark, ride herd on, rub down, saddle,
      safeguard, see, see after, see to, serve, set, set toward, settle,
      shepherd, shield, show a tendency, sink, steer, subside, supervise,
      support, take care of, take charge of, take note, take notice,
      tame, tend to go, train, trend, turn, upon, valet, verge, view,
      wait, wait on, warp, watch, watch out for, watch over, water, work,
      work for, work toward, yoke