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What does bend mean?

Definitions for bend
bɛndbend

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word bend.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. bend, crook, twist, turnnoun

    a circular segment of a curve

    "a bend in the road"; "a crook in the path"

  2. bending, bendnoun

    movement that causes the formation of a curve

  3. bend, curvenoun

    curved segment (of a road or river or railroad track etc.)

  4. fold, crease, plication, flexure, crimp, bendnoun

    an angular or rounded shape made by folding

    "a fold in the napkin"; "a crease in his trousers"; "a plication on her blouse"; "a flexure of the colon"; "a bend of his elbow"

  5. Bendnoun

    a town in central Oregon at the eastern foot of the Cascade Range

  6. bend, bend dexterverb

    diagonal line traversing a shield from the upper right corner to the lower left

  7. bend, flexverb

    form a curve

    "The stick does not bend"

  8. bendverb

    change direction

    "The road bends"

  9. flex, bend, deform, twist, turnverb

    cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form

    "bend the rod"; "twist the dough into a braid"; "the strong man could turn an iron bar"

  10. crouch, stoop, bend, bowverb

    bend one's back forward from the waist on down

    "he crouched down"; "She bowed before the Queen"; "The young man stooped to pick up the girl's purse"

  11. deflect, bend, turn awayverb

    turn from a straight course, fixed direction, or line of interest

  12. flex, bendverb

    bend a joint

    "flex your wrists"; "bend your knees"

Wiktionary

  1. bendnoun

    A curve.

  2. bendnoun

    Any of the various knots which join the ends of two lines.

  3. bendnoun

    A severe condition caused by excessively quick decompression, causing bubbles of nitrogen to form in the blood; decompression sickness.

  4. bendnoun

    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.

  5. bendverb

    To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.

  6. bendverb

    To become curved.

    Look at the trees bending in the wind.

  7. bendverb

    To cause to change direction.

  8. bendverb

    To change direction.

    The road bends to the right

  9. bendverb

    To stoop.

    He bent down to pick up the pieces.

  10. bendverb

    To force to submit.

    They bent me to their will.

  11. bendverb

    To submit.

    I am bending to my desire to eat junk food.

  12. bendverb

    To apply to a task or purpose.

    He bent company's resources to gaining market share.

  13. bendverb

    To apply oneself to a task or purpose.

    He bent to the goal of gaining market share.

  14. bendverb

    To adapt or interpret to for a purpose or beneficiary.

  15. bendverb

    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.

  16. bendverb

    To smoothly change the pitch of a note.

    You should bend the G slightly sharp in the next measure.

  17. bendverb

    To swing the body when rowing.

  18. Etymology: From benden, from bendan, from bandijanan, from bhendh-. Cognate with benden, bænde, bende, benda, benda. More at band.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Bendnoun

    Etymology: from to bend.

    ’Tis true, this god did shake;
    His coward lips did from their colour fly;
    And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world,
    Did lose its lustre. William Shakespeare, Julius Cæsar.

  2. To BENDverb

    pret. bended, or bent; part. pass. bended, or bent.

    Etymology: bendan , Saxon; bander, Fr. as Stephen Skinner thinks, from pandare, Lat.

    The rainbow compasseth the heaven with a glorious circle, and the hands of the Most High hath bended it. Ecclus, xliii. 12.

    They bend their bows, they whirl their slings around:
    Heaps of spent arrows fall, and strew the ground;
    And helms, and shields, and rattling arms resound. John Dryden, Æneid.

    Octavius, and Mark Anthony,
    Came down upon us with a mighty power,
    Bending their expedition tow’rd Philippi. William Shakespeare, J. Csar.

    Why dost thou bend thy eyes upon the earth,
    And start so often, when thou sitt’st alone. William Shakespeare.

    Your gracious eyes upon this labour bend. Edward Fairfax, b. i.

    To that sweet region was our voyage bent,
    When winds, and ev’ry warring element,
    Disturb’d our course. John Dryden, Virgil.

    Then, with a rushing sound, th’ assembly bend
    Diverse their steps: the rival rout ascend
    The royal dome. Alexander Pope, Odyssey, b. ii. l. 295.

    Men will not bend their wits to examine, whether things, wherewith they have been accustomed, be good or evil. Richard Hooker.

    He is within, with two right reverend fathers,
    Divinely bent to meditation. William Shakespeare, Richard III.

    When he fell into the gout, he was no longer able to bend his mind or thoughts to any publick business. William Temple.

    I’m settled, and bend up
    Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

    As a fowler was bending his net, a blackbird asked him what he was doing. Roger L'Estrange, fab. xcvi.

    But when to mischief mortals bend their will,
    How soon they find fit instruments of ill? Alexander Pope, R. of the L.

    Some have been seen to bite their pen, scratch their head, bend their brows, bite their lips, beat the board, and tear their paper. William Camden, Remains.

  3. To Bendverb

    There is a cliff, whose high and bending head
    Looks fearfully on the confined deep. William Shakespeare.

    Earth seems
    Far stretch’d around, to meet the bending sphere. James Thomson.

    Not so, for once, indulg’d they sweep the main,
    Deaf to the call, or, hearing, hear in vain;
    But, bent on mischief, bear the waves before. John Dryden, Fables.

    While good, and anxious for his friend,
    He’s still severely bent against himself;
    Renouncing sleep, and rest, and food, and ease. Joseph Addison, Cato.

    A state of slavery, which they are bent upon with so much eagerness and obstinacy. Joseph Addison, Freeholder.

    He is every where bent on instruction, and avoids all manner of digressions. Joseph Addison, Essay on the Georgicks.

    The sons of them that afflicted thee, shall come bending unto thee. Isaiah, lx. 14.

ChatGPT

  1. bend

    A bend is a curve, distortion, or change in direction or shape in an object, path or position, usually without breaking or splitting. It can also refer to the act of changing direction or shape by turning or curving.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Bendverb

    to strain or move out of a straight line; to crook by straining; to make crooked; to curve; to make ready for use by drawing into a curve; as, to bend a bow; to bend the knee

  2. Bendverb

    to turn toward some certain point; to direct; to incline

  3. Bendverb

    to apply closely or with interest; to direct

  4. Bendverb

    to cause to yield; to render submissive; to subdue

  5. Bendverb

    to fasten, as one rope to another, or as a sail to its yard or stay; or as a cable to the ring of an anchor

  6. Bendverb

    to be moved or strained out of a straight line; to crook or be curving; to bow

  7. Bendverb

    to jut over; to overhang

  8. Bendverb

    to be inclined; to be directed

  9. Bendverb

    to bow in prayer, or in token of submission

  10. Bendnoun

    a turn or deflection from a straight line or from the proper direction or normal position; a curve; a crook; as, a slight bend of the body; a bend in a road

  11. Bendnoun

    turn; purpose; inclination; ends

  12. Bendnoun

    a knot by which one rope is fastened to another or to an anchor, spar, or post

  13. Bendnoun

    the best quality of sole leather; a butt. See Butt

  14. Bendnoun

    hard, indurated clay; bind

  15. Bendnoun

    same as caisson disease. Usually referred to as the bends

  16. Bendnoun

    a band

  17. Bendnoun

    one of the honorable ordinaries, containing a third or a fifth part of the field. It crosses the field diagonally from the dexter chief to the sinister base

Wikidata

  1. Bend

    Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population density of that area. Bend recorded a population of 76,693 at the time of the 2010 US Census., up from 52,029 in recorded during the 2000 census. The current estimated population of Bend as of 2011 is 77,905. Bend's metro population was estimated at 170,705 as of July 1, 2009. The Bend MSA is the 5th largest metropolitan area in Oregon. Bend is located on the eastern edge of the Cascade Range along the Deschutes River. Here the Ponderosa Pine forest transitions into the high desert, characterized by arid land, junipers, sagebrush, and bitter-brush. Originally a crossing point on the river, settlement began in the early 1900s. Bend was incorporated as a city in 1905. Economically, it started as a logging town but is now identified as a gateway for many outdoor sports, including mountain biking, fishing, hiking, camping, rock climbing, white-water rafting, skiing, and golf.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Bend

    bend, n. in leather, half a butt cut lengthwise.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. bend

    The chock of the bowsprit.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. bend

    In heraldry, is one of the ordinaries, or more important figures. It is formed of two parallel lines drawn from the dexter to the sinister base, and consequently passing athwart the shield. It is supposed to represent a shoulder-belt, or scarf worn over the shoulder.

Rap Dictionary

  1. bendnoun

    A prostitute. "She was more than just a bend" -- Grand Puba

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. BEND

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Bend is ranked #81458 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Bend surname appeared 232 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Bend.

    58.1% or 135 total occurrences were White.
    37.5% or 87 total occurrences were Black.
    3% or 7 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'bend' in Verbs Frequency: #515

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

Anagrams for bend »

  1. D. Neb.

How to pronounce bend?

How to say bend in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of bend in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of bend in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of bend in a Sentence

  1. Greta Thunberg:

    2019 is almost over. We must make sure that 2020 is the year of action, is the year when we bend the global emissions curve, we are going to put pressure on those in power, we are going to make sure that they will act and they will take responsibility.

  2. Bruce Springsteen:

    Now, there have been many, many days of recent when you could certainly have an argument over that. But I've lived long enough to see that in action and to put some faith in it. But I've also lived long enough to know that arc doesn't bend on its own, it needs all of us leaning on it, nudging it in the right direction day after day. You got ta keep, keep leaning.

  3. Donald Trump:

    There's so many things that you can learn from it. Proverbs, the chapter, 'never bend to envy.' I've had that thing all of my life where people are bending to envy. Actually, it's an incredible book, so many things you can learn from the Bible and you can lead your life. I'm not just talking in terms of religion; I'm talking in terms of leading a life even beyond religion. There are so many brilliant things in the Bible, the Bible is special, the Bible -- the more you see it, the more you read it, the more incredible it is. I don't like to use this analogy, but like a great movie, a great, incredible movie. You'll see it once it will be good. You'll see it again. You can see it 20 times and every time you'll appreciate it more. The Bible is the most special thing.

  4. Daniel Russel:

    I tried to make very clear that whatever the rationale ... the government and the party really needs to bend over backwards to demonstrate that the bad old days are in fact over and they will not avail themselves of the tools of oppression that marred Burma for so many decades.

  5. American Tori Bowie:

    My main focus was attack the bend, don't give them anything.

more sentences »

Popularity rank by frequency of use

bend#1#6506#10000

References

Translations for bend

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • ثنىArabic
  • подчинявам, извивам се, извивам, завивам, превивам, връзвам, възел, кесонна болест, завойBulgarian
  • ohnout, ohybCzech
  • durchbiegen, biegen, beugen, KurveGerman
  • λυγίζω, στροφήGreek
  • fleksi, kurbigiEsperanto
  • doblar, doblegar, curvar, doblarseSpanish
  • خمPersian
  • taipua, suuntautua, sitoa, kumartua, taivuttaa, antaa periksi, kääntyä, kääntää, kiinnittää, suunnata, myöntyä, kaaret, anturanahka, palkki, kytky, tarkoitus, sukeltajantauti, mutka, parrasFinnish
  • courberFrench
  • lùb, crom, boghaScottish Gaelic
  • התכופף, כופףHebrew
  • görbít, hajlítHungarian
  • kurveskarIdo
  • beygjaIcelandic
  • curvarsi, piegare, curvare, ammanigliare, piegarsi, curvaItalian
  • 曲がる, 曲げるJapanese
  • 굽​​히다Korean
  • چه‌ماندنKurdish
  • curvo, flecto, sinuōLatin
  • saliektLatvian
  • ngawaki, whakapiko, noninga, hawhe, hawe, whawheMāori
  • gaan, buigen, plooien, bevestigen, corrigeren, vastmaken, onderwerpen, knopen, draaien, afbuigen, bocht, verbindingsknoopDutch
  • bøyeNorwegian
  • zgiąćPolish
  • curvar, curvar-se, virar, dobrar-se, dobrar, obrigar, doença de descompressão, curva, bandaPortuguese
  • îndoi, curbaRomanian
  • гнуться, изгибать, сгибать, изгибаться, гнуть, изгибRussian
  • upogniti, zavojSlovene
  • böja, glida, kuva, binda, krokna, böj, kurva, knop, krökSwedish
  • kunja, pindaSwahili
  • bükmekTurkish
  • uốn congVietnamese
  • verdjî, ployî, fé ployîWalloon
  • 彎曲Chinese

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    steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered
    A lumberman
    B dint
    C serendipity
    D helm

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