Fend v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fended; p. pr. & vb. n. Fending.] To keep off; to prevent from entering or hitting; to ward off; to shut out; -- often with off; as, to fend off blows.
With fern beneath to fend the bitter cold. --Dryden.
To fend off a boat or To fend off a vessel Naut., to prevent its running against anything with too much violence.
Fend, v. i. To act on the defensive, or in opposition; to resist; to parry; to shift off.
The dexterous management of terms, and being able to fend . . . with them, passes for a great part of learning. --Locke.
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fend
v 1: try to manage without help; "The youngsters had to fend for
themselves after their parents died"
2: withstand the force of something; "The trees resisted her";
"stand the test of time"; "The mountain climbers had to
fend against the ice and snow" [syn: resist, stand]