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fend

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fend¹

  • /ˈfɛnd/
  • [ˈfɛnd]
  • /ˈfɪnd/ pin pen merger
  • [ˈfɪ̟nd] pin pen merger

Sounds like finned (pin–pen merger) · Rhymes with -ɛnd

Where it comes from

From Middle English fenden (“defend, fight, prevent”), shortening of defenden (“defend”), from Old French deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), from dē- + *fendō (“hit, thrust”), from Proto-Italic *fendō, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- (“strike, kill”).

verb fends · fending · fended

  1. intransitive To take care of oneself; to take responsibility for one's own well-being. 1990, Messrs Howley and Murphy, quoted in U.S. House Subcommittee on Labor Standards, Oversight hearing on the Federal Service Contract Act, U.S. Government Printing Office, page 40, Mr. Howley. They are telling him how much they will increase the reimbursement for the total labor cost. The contract
  2. rare To defend, to take care of (typically construed with for); to block or push away (typically construed with off). With fern beneath to fend the bitter cold.

noun

  1. obsolete, uncountable Self-support; taking care of one's own well-being.

fend²

  • /ˈfɛnd/
  • [ˈfɛnd]
  • /ˈfɪnd/ pin pen merger
  • [ˈfɪ̟nd] pin pen merger

Sounds like finned (pin–pen merger) · Rhymes with -ɛnd

Where it comes from

From Middle English fēnd, feond, from Old English fēond (“adversary, foe, enemy, fiend, devil, Satan”), from Proto-Germanic *fijandz, present participle of *fijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hate”). More at fiend.

noun fends

  1. UK, dialectal An enemy; fiend; the Devil.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: use, rely, manage, prevent, stand, avoid, defend, avoiding, fill, fight, parry, look after, take care, look to, nourish, keep

Translations

Every language

verb to take care of or responsibility for oneself

Españolvalerse por sí mismo
Françaisprendre soin de soi
Deutschalleine auskommen, für sich selbst sorgen

verb to defend, block or push away

中文挡住 dǎngzhù

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Cite this
MLA

"fend." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/fend. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

APA

fend. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/fend

Chicago

"fend." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/fend.

BibTeX
@misc{fend_2026,
  title = {fend},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/fend},
  urldate = {2026-11-05}
}