fend
To take care of oneself; to take responsibility for one's own well-being.
Noun obsolete, uncountable
- Self-support; taking care of one's own well-being.
Origin
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”).
Noun UK, dialectal
- An enemy; fiend; the Devil.
Origin
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.
Forms
Verb
- 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...
- The planet was full of creatures in need, who could not really fend, and the law was at its best when it ensured that they were treated with dignity. - 2003, Scott Turow, Reversible Errors, page 376:
- 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. - 1697, Virgil, “The Third Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson,...
- He fends, he blocks, too skillful to be downed. - 1999, Luo Guanzhong, translated by Moss Roberts, Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel, page 39:
- “[…] My age is lot like yours. Lone women do not fare well. If I were not there to fend for you, you—” - 2002, Jude Deveraux, A Knight in Shining Armor, page 187:
Forms
Derived
fend and prove fend away fender fend for oneself fend off forfend