Word: mend Part of Speech: verb 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 ready; to mend, repair, restore; to get well, recover; to relieve”), or from its etymon Anglo-Norman amender and Old French amender (“to cure; to fix, repair; to set right, correct”) (modern French amender), from Latin ēmendāre, the present active infinitive of ēmendō (“to atone; to chastise, punish; to correct, remedy, amend; to cure”), from ē- (variant of ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out’)) + mendum (“defect; error, fault”) (from Proto-Indo-European *mend- (“defect; fault”)) + -ō (suffix forming first-conjugation verbs). Pronunciation: /mɛnd/, /mɪnd/ 1. To physically repair (something that is broken, defaced, decayed, torn, or otherwise damaged). Labels: transitive Example: My trousers have a big rip in them and need mending. Example: When your car breaks down, you can take it to the garage to have it mended. 2. To add fuel to (a fire). Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: [I]n, you Rogue, and vvipe the pigges, and mend the fire, that they fall not, or I'le both baſte and roaſt you, till your eyes drop out, like 'hem. Example: He mended the fire and turned the meat on the greenwood racks. 3. To correct or put right (an error, a fault, etc.); to rectify, to remedy. Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: Dro[mio of Syracuse]. […] [S]he ſvveats a man may goe ouer-ſhooes in the grime of it. / Anti[pholus of Syracuse]. That's a fault that vvater vvill mend. Example: [Y]ou muſt examine vvhere the fault is, and taking the Pin out mend the fault in the Joynt. 4. To put (something) in a better state; to ameliorate, to improve, to reform, to set right. Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: Her stutter was mended by a speech therapist. Example: My broken heart was mended. 5. To remove fault or sin from (someone, or their behaviour or character); to improve morally, to reform. Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: Youle not endure him, god ſhall mend my ſoule, / Youle make a mutinie among my gueſts: […] Example: I vvould thou vvert a mans tailer, that thou mightſt mend him and make him fit to goe, I cannot put him to a priuate ſouldier, that is the leader of ſo many thouſands, […] 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). Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: Cudgell thy braines no more about it, for your dull aſſe vvill not mend his pace vvith beating, […] Example: When children to the school at morn did pass / With basket-store, thou [a goat] mendedst then thy pace, / And boldly into every school-bag spied / With insolent but inoffensive pride, / Till, bit by bit, the morning lunch was thine, / And off you sauntered as the clock struck nine. 7. To correct or put right the defects, errors, or faults of (something); to amend, to emend, to fix. Labels: archaic, figuratively, transitive Example: Salt Earth and bitter are not fit to ſovv, / Nor vvill be tam'd or mended vvith the Plough. Example: [W]here Marle is not laid too thick, nor is of too tough binding cold a quality, it vvill often mend Clays, eſpecially Grazing ground, […] 8. To increase the quality of (someone or something); to better, to improve on; also, to produce something better than (something else). Labels: archaic, figuratively, transitive Example: [N]ay he can ſing / A meane moſt meanely, and in huſhering, / Mende him vvho can, the Ladies call him ſvveete. Example: Beleeu't deere Lord, / You mend the Ievvell by the vvearing it. 9. To make amends or reparation for (a wrong done); to atone. Labels: archaic, figuratively, transitive Example: Yee may sir, (quoth he), mend three nayes with one yee. Example: Come, come, you haue bin too rough, ſomthing too rough: you muſt returne, and mend it. 10. To restore (someone or something) to a healthy state; to cure, to heal. Labels: figuratively, regional, transitive Example: Yearly thy Herds in vigour vvill impair; / Recruit and mend 'em vvith thy Yearly care: […] Example: We have had terrible rains these two or three days. I intended to dine at lord treasurer's, but went to see lady Abercorn, who is come to town, and my lord; and I dined with them, and visited lord treasurer this evening. His porter is mending. 11. To adjust or correctly position (something; specifically (nautical), a sail). Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: VVhy he vvill looke vppon his boote, and ſing: mend the Ruffe and ſing, aske queſtions and ſing, picke his teeth, and ſing: I knovv a man that had this tricke of melancholy hold a goodly Mannor for a ſong. Example: [Y]our Crovvnes avvay,^([sic – meaning awry?']) / Ile mend it, and then play— […] 12. To put out (a candle). Labels: obsolete, transitive 13. To add one or more things in order to improve (something, especially wages); to supplement; also, to remedy a shortfall in (something). Labels: figuratively, obsolete, transitive Example: VVill you goe vvith me, vvee'll mend our dinner here? Example: Roſ[alind]. […] Buy thou the Cottage, paſture, and the flocke, / And thou ſhalt haue to pay for it of vs. / Cel[ia]. And vve vvill mend thy vvages: / I like this place, and vvillingly could / VVaſte my time in it. 14. To relieve (distress); to alleviate, to ease. Labels: figuratively, obsolete, transitive 15. To reform (oneself). Labels: figuratively, obsolete, reflexive, transitive Example: [B]id the diſhoneſt man mend himſelf, if he mend, he is no longer diſhoneſt; […] 16. To improve the condition or fortune of (oneself or someone). Labels: also, figuratively, obsolete, reflexive, transitive Example: [W]hatſoeuer is Nevv, is vnlooked for; And euer it mends Some, and pairs Other: […] Example: I vvas born indeed in your Dominions, but your ſe[r]vice vvas hard, and your vvages ſuch as a man could not live on, for the vvages of Sin is death [Romans 6:23]; therefore vvhen I vvas come to years, I did as other conſiderate perſons do, look out, if perhaps I might mend my ſelf. 17. To repair the clothes of (someone). Labels: England, obsolete, regional, transitive Example: "Ready?" said the old gentleman inquiringly, when his guests had been washed, mended, brushed, and brandied. Example: She will tend him, nurse him, mend him; / Air his linen, dry his tears. / Bless the thoughtful fates that send him / Such a wife to soothe his years! 18. To cause (a person or animal) to gain weight; to fatten. Labels: Northern-Ireland, Scotland, figuratively, obsolete, transitive 19. Chiefly with the impersonal pronoun it: to provide a benefit to (someone); to advantage, to profit. Labels: Scotland, figuratively, obsolete, transitive 20. Of an illness: to become less severe; also, of an injury or wound, or an injured body part: to get better, to heal. Labels: figuratively, intransitive Example: My long ſickneſſe / Of Health, and Liuing, novv begins to mend, […] Example: Some days later it happened that young Heriotside was stepping home over the Lang Muir about ten at night—it being his first jaunt from home since his arm had mended. 21. Of a person: to become healthy again; to recover from illness. Labels: figuratively, intransitive Example: The queen is mending of her gout, and intends to be brought in a chair to parliament when it meets, […] Example: But the fever has left him, and the doctor says he will soon mend. 22. Now only in least said, soonest mended: to make amends or reparation. Labels: archaic, figuratively, intransitive Example: You are in a peck of troubles, as most men are who are free-livers, and are led astray by artful and alluring females. However, as Lady Betty says, 'the least said the soonest mended.' Example: I have not let Mr. Spencer see that I have discovered his secret, I can do that or not, according to circumstances hereafter, neither have i said any thing of my discovery to Mrs. B. or Camilla. At present, 'least said soonest mended.' 23. To become morally improved or reformed. Labels: Scotland, figuratively, intransitive Example: Let ſhame come vvhen it vvill, I doe not callit, / […] / Mend vvhen thou canſt, be better at thy leaſure, / I can be patient, […] Example: VVe have both of us our failings that vvay, […] but it is never over-late to mend: therefore I begin, and do penance in this vvhite ſheet for vvhat is paſs'd; I hope you vvill do the like, and ſo vve may abſolve one another vvithout a Ghoſtly Father. 24. Chiefly used together with make: to make repairs. Labels: intransitive, obsolete Example: An evill pen, is that vvhich is ſouple or vveake, vvhich vvhen thou makeſt, or mendeſt, muſt haue a ſhort ſlit, and bee ſuffered to remaine great on both ſides, becauſe it is vveake; […] Example: [T]he piece of woollen fabric which has been rejected by those who make or mend, and who must make or mend so cheaply that the veriest vagrant may be their customer, is formed not only into a new material, but into a material which sometimes is made into a new garment. These garments are inferior to those woven of new wool, both in look and wear; but in some articles the re-manufacture is beautiful. 25. To advance to a better state; to become less bad or faulty; to improve. Labels: figuratively, intransitive, obsolete Example: Then would ye mend as the fletcher mends his bolt, / Or sowre ale mendeth in summer, […] Example: VVhat thinke you of this foole Maluolio, doth he not mend? 26. To improve in amount or price. Labels: figuratively, intransitive, obsolete 27. Of an error, fault, etc.: to be corrected or put right. Labels: figuratively, intransitive, obsolete Example: Young men, whose passions are not a little unruly, give small hopes of their ever being considerable; the fire of youth will of course abate, and is a fault, if it be a fault, that mends every day; but surely, unless a man has fire in his youth, he can hardly have warmth in old age. 28. Followed by of: to recover from a bad state; to get better, to grow out of. Labels: figuratively, intransitive, obsolete 29. Of an animal: to gain weight, to fatten. Labels: Northern-Ireland, Scotland, figuratively, intransitive, obsolete 30. To advantage, to avail, to help. Labels: Scotland, figuratively, intransitive, obsolete