bend
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to force (an object, especially a long or thin one) from a straight form into a curved or angular one, or from a curved or angular form into some different form.
to bend an iron rod into a hoop.
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to direct or turn in a particular direction.
to bend one's energies to the task.
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to cause to submit or yield.
to bend someone to one's will.
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to modify or relax (restrictions, regulations, etc.) temporarily or in certain circumstances.
to bend the rules.
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to incline mentally (usually followed by to ortoward ).
bending his thoughts back toward his childhood.
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to pull back the string of (a bow or the like) in preparation for shooting.
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Nautical. to fasten.
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Archaic. to strain or brace tensely (often followed byup ).
verb (used without object)
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to become curved, crooked, or bent.
a bow that bends easily.
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to assume a bent posture; stoop (often followed byover ).
to bend as one walks;
to bend over and pick up something.
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to turn or incline in a particular direction; be directed.
The road bent toward the south.
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to yield or submit; give in.
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to bow in submission or reverence.
bending to one's monarch.
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to direct one's energies.
We bent to our work as the bell sounded.
noun
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the act of bending.
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something that bends; curve; crook.
a bend in the road;
a bend in the curtain rod.
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Nautical. any of various loops or knots for joining the ends of two ropes or the like, or for joining the end of a rope or the like to some other object.
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Nautical. bends,
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thick planking immediately below the waterways of a wooden vessel.
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the wales of a vessel.
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the bends, aeroembolism.
noun
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Heraldry.
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a diagonal band extending from the dexter chief of an escutcheon to the sinister base.
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in bend, (of a charge) set diagonally or in a diagonal row.
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Tanning. half of a trimmed butt or hide.
noun
verb
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to form or cause to form a curve, as by pushing or pulling
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to turn or cause to turn from a particular direction
the road bends left past the church
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(intr; often foll by down, etc) to incline the body; stoop; bow
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to submit or cause to submit
to bend before superior force
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(tr) to turn or direct (one's eyes, steps, attention, etc)
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(tr) to concentrate (the mind); apply oneself closely
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(tr) nautical to attach or fasten, as a sail to a boom or a line to a cleat
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informal to make a special effort, esp in order to please
he bends over backwards to accommodate his customers
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informal to speak at length to an unwilling listener, esp to voice one's troubles
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informal to ignore rules or change them to suit one's own convenience
noun
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a curved part, as in a road or river
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nautical a knot or eye in a line for joining it to another or to an object
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the act or state of bending
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slang mad; crazy; eccentric
noun
Usage
What is a basic definition of bend? Bend means to make something change its shape from straight to curved or to make someone submit. A bend is a curve or a turn. The word bend has several other senses as a verb and a noun.If you bend something that is straight, you are forcing it into a curve or an angle. If you bend a drinking straw, for example, you are using your hands to force it to curve or to slant. If you bend something too far, it may snap or break. Something or someone that bends is a bender.
- Real-life examples: A baker needs to bend dough to make a pretzel. Yoga includes a lot of bending forward and backward.
- Used in a sentence: Jonah’s arms were so sore after lifting weights that he could barely bend his arms.
- Used in a sentence: I bent over and picked up all of the trash on the ground.
- Used in a sentence: When driving, you need to be careful of sudden bends in the road.
- Used in a sentence: Charlemagne forced the conquered people to bend to his will.
Armando bent to her demands because he had no other choice.
Related Words
Bend, bow, stoop imply taking a bent posture. Bend and bow are used of the head and upper body; stoop is used of the body only.
Other Word Forms
- bendable adjective
- nonbending adjective
- rebendable adjective
Etymology
Origin of bend1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb benden, binde, Old English bendan “to bind, bend (a bow)”; cognate with Middle High German benden, Old Norse benda; akin to Old Norse band “band, cord, confederacy”; band 3
Origin of bend2
First recorded before 1000; Middle English adjective bende; blend of Old English bend “band, fetter” and Middle French bende ( Medieval Latin benda, binda ); band 2, band 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Instead of bending or flexing, the robots generate an electrical field that gently pushes charged particles in the surrounding liquid.
From Science Daily
At the same time, it behaves elastically, meaning it can bend and partially return to its original shape, similar to a rubber band.
From Science Daily
Policymakers have gotten “divergent signals” about the job market’s health that, taken together, suggest it is bending but not breaking, Paulson said, adding that she is waiting for clarity from additional data.
"We need patience, for example, when we bend our fingers, we have to count up to 100," she said.
From Barron's
The train derailed as it rounded a bend near the town of Nizanda, officials said.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
