v., fend·ed, fend·ing, fends. v.tr.
- To ward off. Often used with off: fend off an attack.
- Archaic. To defend.
- To make an effort to resist: fend against the cold.
- To attempt to manage without assistance: had to fend for ourselves until we were rescued.
[Middle English fenden, short for defenden, to defend. See defend.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
