Added 10 October 2026

fend

/ˈfɛnd/ verb

Latin root: dēfendō Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about fend at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Try to manage without help.
The youngsters had to fend for themselves after their parents died
Withstand the force of something.
The trees resisted her

From Middle English fenden (“defend, fight, prevent”), shortening of defenden (“defend”), from Old French deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), from dē- + *fendō (“hit, thrust”), from Proto-Italic *fendō, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- (“strike, kill”).