GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Found 3 definitions

1.       
   Fend (?), n. A fiend. [Obs.]  Chaucer.
   
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2.       
   Fend (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fended; p. pr. & vb. n. Fending.] [Abbrev. fr. defend.] To keep off; to prevent from entering or hitting; to ward off; to shut out; -- often with off; as, “to fend off blows”.
   
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   With fern beneath to fend the bitter cold. Dryden.
   
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   To fend off a boat or To fend off a vessel (Naut.), to prevent its running against anything with too much violence.
   
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3.       
   Fend, v. i. To act on the defensive, or in opposition; to resist; to parry; to shift off.
   
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   The dexterous management of terms, and being able to fend . . . with them, passes for a great part of learning. Locke.
   
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