bend
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Middle English benden < Old English bendan to bind or bend (a bow).
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Verb
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Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Simple past |
Past participle |
Present participle |
to bend (third-person singular simple present bends, present participle bending, simple past and past participle bent)
- (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.
- (transitive, intransitive) To force or be forced to submit.
- They bent me to their will.
- I am bending to my desire to eat junk food.
- (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.
- (transitive, music) To smoothly change the pitch of a note.
- You should bend the G slightly sharp in the next measure.
- (intransitive, nautical) To swing the body when rowing.
- (intransitive) To become curved.
- Look at the trees bending in the wind.
- To bow properly, bend at the waist.
- (intransitive) To change direction.
- The road bends to the right
[edit] Derived terms
- bend down
- bend over
- bend over backwards
- bend somebody's ear
- on bended knee
- around the bend
- bend one's elbow
- bend out of shape
- bend the truth
[edit] Translations
to shape into a curve
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to tie a line
to become curved
to change direction
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
bend (plural bends)
- A curve.
- There's a sharp bend in the road ahead.
- (nautical) Any of the various knots which join the ends of two lines.
- (in plural, medicine, diving) (the bends) 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.
- (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.
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
curve
knot
decompression sickness
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
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[edit] References
- The Manual of Heraldry, Fifth Edition, by Anonymous, London, 1862, online at [1]
[edit] Anagrams
[edit] Croatian
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Noun
bend m. sg.
- band (group of musicians)
[edit] Kurdish
[edit] Noun
bend
