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mend

Pronunciation: /mɛnd/

The English word “mend” has 20 meanings listed here.

verb

  1. To physically repair (something that is broken, defaced, decayed, torn, or otherwise damaged).
  2. To add fuel to (a fire).
  3. To correct or put right (an error, a fault, etc.); to rectify, to remedy.
  4. To put (something) in a better state; to ameliorate, to improve, to reform, to set right.
  5. To remove fault or sin from (someone, or their behaviour or character); to improve morally, to reform.
  6. In mend one's pace: to adjust (a pace or speed), especially to match that of someone or something else; also, to quicken or speed up (a pace).
  7. To correct or put right the defects, errors, or faults of (something); to amend, to emend, to fix.
  8. To increase the quality of (someone or something); to better, to improve on; also, to produce something better than (something else).
  9. To make amends or reparation for (a wrong done); to atone.
  10. To restore (someone or something) to a healthy state; to cure, to heal.
  11. To adjust or correctly position (something; specifically (nautical), a sail).
  12. To put out (a candle).
  13. To add one or more things in order to improve (something, especially wages); to supplement; also, to remedy a shortfall in (something).
  14. To relieve (distress); to alleviate, to ease.
  15. To reform (oneself).
  16. To improve the condition or fortune of (oneself or someone).
  17. To repair the clothes of (someone).
  18. To cause (a person or animal) to gain weight; to fatten.
  19. Chiefly with the impersonal pronoun it: to provide a benefit to (someone); to advantage, to profit.
  20. Of an illness: to become less severe; also, of an injury or wound, or an injured body part: to get better, to heal.

Etymology

From Middle English menden (“to cure; to do good to, benefit; to do or make better, improve; to get better, recover; to keep in a good state; to put right, amend; to reform, repent”), the aphetic form of amenden (“to alter, change (especially for the better); to atone; to chastise, punish; to correct, remedy, amend; to cure; to excel, surpass; to forgive; to get or make better, improve; to make…

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.