Fend
Fend , noun
A fiend. [Obsolete] — Chaucer
Fend , transitive verb
[Abbrev. from defend.]
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.
Collocations (1)
To fend off a boat or To fend off a vessel (Nautical) , to prevent its running against anything with too much violence.
Fend , intransitive verb
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.