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attending

[uh-ten-ding]
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adjective (of a physician)
  1. having primary responsibility for a patient.
  2. holding a staff position in an accredited hospital.
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Origin of attending

First recorded in 1580–90; attend + -ing2
Related formswell-at·tend·ing, adjective

attend

[uh-tend]
verb (used with object)
  1. to be present at: to attend a lecture; to attend church.
  2. to go with as a concomitant or result; accompany: Fever may attend a cold. Success attended her hard work.
  3. to take care of; minister to; devote one's services to: The nurse attended the patient daily.
  4. to wait upon; accompany as a companion or servant: The retainers attended their lord.
  5. to take charge of; watch over; look after; tend; guard: to attend one's health.
  6. to listen to; give heed to.
  7. Archaic. to wait for; expect.
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verb (used without object)
  1. to take care or charge: to attend to a sick person.
  2. to apply oneself: to attend to one's work.
  3. to pay attention; listen or watch attentively; direct one's thought; pay heed: to attend to a speaker.
  4. to be present: She is a member but does not attend regularly.
  5. to be present and ready to give service; wait (usually followed by on or upon): to attend upon the Queen.
  6. to follow; be consequent (usually followed by on or upon).
  7. Obsolete. to wait.
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Origin of attend

1250–1300; Middle English atenden < Anglo-French, Old French atendre < Latin attendere to bend to, notice. See at-, tend1
Related formsat·tend·er, nounat·tend·ing·ly, adverbwell-at·tend·ed, adjective

Synonym study

4. See accompany.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

attendant, ministering, ministrant

Examples from the Web for attending

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

British Dictionary definitions for attending

attend

verb
  1. to be present at (an event, meeting, etc)
  2. (when intr, foll by to) to give care; minister
  3. (when intr, foll by to) to pay attention; listen
  4. (tr; often passive) to accompany or followa high temperature attended by a severe cough
  5. (intr; foll by on or upon) to follow as a consequence (of)
  6. (intr foll by to) to devote one's time; apply oneselfto attend to the garden
  7. (tr) to escort or accompany
  8. (intr; foll by on or upon) to wait (on); serve; provide for the needs (of)to attend on a guest
  9. (tr) archaic to wait for; expect
  10. (intr) obsolete to delay
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Derived Formsattender, noun

Word Origin

C13: from Old French atendre, from Latin attendere to stretch towards, from tendere to extend
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for attending

attend

v.

c.1300, "to direct one's mind or energies," from Old French atendre (12c., Modern French attendre) "to expect, wait for, pay attention," and directly from Latin attendere "give heed to," literally "to stretch toward," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + tendere "stretch" (see tenet). The notion is of "stretching" one's mind toward something. Sense of "take care of, wait upon" is from early 14c. Meaning "to pay attention" is early 15c.; that of "to be in attendance" is mid-15c. Related: Attended; attending.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper