Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To care for or look after: To give attention to the needs, maintenance, or operation of someone or something.
   • To manage or operate: To be in charge of a place or process.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To have a tendency or inclination: To be likely to behave in a particular way or have a particular characteristic.
   • To move or extend in a certain direction: To lead or be directed toward a particular place, state, or result.

Examples of Usage

• Verb (transitive):

  • She will tend the garden while we are away.
  • He tends the bar at the local pub.
  • Nurses tend to the injured.

• Verb (intransitive):

  • I tend to agree with your opinion.
  • Prices tend to rise during the holiday season.
  • The coastline tends to the south beyond the bay.

Advanced Usage

• "tend toward(s)": To show a preference or inclination for something; to move in the direction of a particular state or quality.

  • His political views tend toward the conservative.
  • The discussion tended towards an argument.

• "tend to one's own knitting/business" (Idiomatic): To mind one's own affairs and not interfere with others.

  • He should tend to his own business and stop giving unsolicited advice.

Variants and Related Words

• Tendency (n): An inclination toward a particular characteristic or type of behavior.

  • He has a tendency to exaggerate.

• Tender (adj, v): As an adjective, it can mean gentle or caring. As a verb, it means to offer formally. (Note: This is a distinct word, not a variant of "tend," but it shares a common Latin root related to "stretching" or "offering.")

Synonyms

• Care for: To look after someone or something.
• Look after: To be responsible for or take care of.
• Incline: To have a tendency or preference.
• Lean: To be likely to favor a particular opinion or action.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Tend to: This is the primary phrasal construction for the intransitive meaning of having an inclination.
  • She tends to worry about small details.
  • Please tend to the customer's request immediately. (Here, it functions as the transitive verb + preposition "to".)

Related Idioms

• Tend the flock: To look after a group of people, often used in a religious or leadership context.
  • As a manager, her job is to tend the flock and ensure her team is productive and happy.

Verb

1. manage or run
   • tend a store
2. have care of or look after
   • She tends to the children
3. have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined
   • She tends to be nervous before her lectures
   • These dresses run small
   • He inclined to corpulence