Word: attend Part of Speech: verb Etymology: PIE word *h₂éd From Middle English attenden, atenden (“to devote oneself (to a task, etc.); to pay attention to (something), to look after; to consider (something); to expect or look forward to (something); to intend to do (something); to help or serve (someone), attend upon; to take care of (something)”), from Old French atendre (“to await, wait for; to expect; to intend”), from Latin attendere, adtendere (“to pay attention to, attend; to direct or turn toward”), from ad- (“prefix meaning ‘to, towards’”) + tendō (“to direct one’s course; to extend, stretch; to exert, strive”). Doublet of attempt and tend. Pronunciation: /əˈtɛnd/, [əˈtʰɛnd] 1. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Labels: transitive Example: The fift [beadsman] had charge ſick perſons to attend, / And comfort thoſe, in point of death vvhich lay; […] Example: VVe had at this Time a great many frightful Stories told us of Nurſes and VVatchmen, vvho looked after the dying People, that is to ſay, hir'd Nurſes, vvho attended infected People, uſing them barbarouſly, ſtarving them, ſmothering them, or by other vvicked Means, haſtening their End, that is to ſay, murthering of them: […] 2. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Labels: transitive Example: Servants attend the king day and night. Example: I thinke your Lordſhip is not ignorant / Hovv his companion, youthfull Valentine, / Attends the Emperour in his royall Court. 3. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Labels: transitive Example: Children must attend primary school. Example: Andreas too attended Church; yet more like a parade-duty, for which he in the other world expected pay with arrears,— […] 4. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Labels: transitive 5. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Labels: transitive Example: a measure attended with ill effects Example: [I] haue alſo attended them vvith briefe obſeruations, ſuch as to my vnderſtandinge, offer noe violence to the ſence, though I knovve they may bee applyed to a more diuine vſe: […] 6. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Labels: archaic, obsolete, transitive Example: They [plate and jewels] are in a Trunke / Attended by my men: I vvill make bold / To ſend them to you, onely for this night: […] Example: One ſeek the harbour vvhere the veſſels moor, / And bring thy friends, Telemachus! aſhore, / (Leave only tvvo the gally to attend) / Another to Laerceus muſt vve ſend, […] 7. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Labels: intransitive Example: Valets attend to their employers’ wardrobes. Example: Lenny still went to church—a church a long way off in another parish—but the sermons did not do him the same good as Parson Dale's had done; and the clergyman, who had his own flock to attend to, did not condescend, as Parson Dale would have done, to explain what seemed obscure, and enforce what was profitable, in private talk, with that stray lamb from another's fold. 8. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Labels: intransitive Example: [H]e entertained a gard of three thovvſand about him, beſides a band of young gentlemen of the order of knightes that attended alvvayes upon his perſone ready at commaundement, vvhom he called the garde againſt the Senate. Example: Th' officious Nymphs, attending in a Ring, / VVith VVaters dravvn from their perpetual Spring, / From earthly dregs his Body purify, / And rub his Temples, vvith fine Tovvels, dry: / Then load the Tables vvith a lib'ral Feaſt, / And honour vvith full Bovvls their friendly Gueſt. 9. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Labels: intransitive Example: He died (according to Hermippas) at Piſa, embracing his ſon, victor in the Olympick games, of the cæſtus, the vveakneſſe of his age overcome vvith exceſſe of joy; all vvho vvere preſent at the great aſſembly attended on his funeralls, […] Example: All persons, of whatever rank, attended at the County Courts, but they did not go there as judges, they went to sue for justice; to be informed of their duty, and to be bound to the performance of it. Thus all sorts of people attended at the Wittenagemotes, not to make laws, but to attend at the promulgation of the laws; as among so free a people every institution must have wanted much of its necessary authority, if not confirmed by the general approbation. 10. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Labels: intransitive Example: Secretaries attend to correspondence. Example: [T]he two captains, Peleg and Bildad, could attend to everything necessary to fit the vessel for the voyage. 11. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Labels: intransitive Example: But I aſſeſt the gods, your full conſent, / Gaue vvings to my propenſion, and cut off / All feares attending on ſo dire a proiect, […] Example: [K]novvledge dravvne freſhly and in our vievv out of particulers, knovveth the vvaie beſt to particulers againe. And it hath much greater life for practiſe: vvhen the diſcourſe attendeth vpon the Example, then vvhen the example attenddeth^([sic]) vpon the diſcourſe. 12. Senses relating to directing one's attention. Labels: archaic, transitive Example: Pyrocles minde was all thius while so fixed upon another devotion, that he no more attentively marked his friends discourse, then […] the diligent pilot in a dangerous tempest doth attend the unskilful words of a passinger: […] Example: Avvay, I do condemne mine eares, that haue / So long attended thee. 13. Senses relating to directing one's attention. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: If thou attendeſt thy Philosophy, I am glad of it, for that in truth is to be in health. VVithout it the minde is ſicke, and the bodie alſo notvvithſtanding it be ſtrong and able: for it is no othervviſe healthie then as a man might ſay, the bodie of one that is madde and troubled vvith the frenſie. Example: Attend thy footſteps vvhen thou dravveſt near / The House of God; […] 14. Senses relating to directing one's attention. Labels: intransitive Example: Wherfore ye muſt needs be ſubiect [to rulers], not onely for wrath, but alſo for conſcience ſake. For, for this cauſe pay you tribute alſo: for they are Gods ministers, attending continually vpon this very thing. Example: [T]here is a Griſon Regiment kept ſtill in pay by the Spaniards, there are in it tvvelve Companies of fifty a piece, and the Captains have a thouſand Crovvns pay, tho they are not obliged to attend upon the ſervice: […] 15. Senses relating to directing one's attention. Labels: archaic, intransitive Example: Thoſe Vnckles vvhich you vvant, vvere dangerous, / Your Grace attended to their ſugred vvords, / But lookt not on the poiſon of their hearts: […] Example: Heare the right, O Lord, attend vnto my crie, giue eare vnto my prayer, that goeth not out of fained lips. 16. Senses relating to waiting for something. Labels: archaic, obsolete, transitive Example: Ægyptian ingenuity vvas more unſatisfied, contriving their bodies in ſvveet conſiſtences, to attend the return of their ſouls. But all vvas vanity, feeding the vvinde, and folly. Example: Three days I promis'd to attend my Doom, / And tvvo long days and nights are yet to come: […] 17. Senses relating to waiting for something. Labels: archaic, obsolete, transitive Example: Yet ſatteſt thou an idle looker on, / And glad attendeſt vvhich ſide vvonne or loſt: […] Example: This offer vvas contumeliouſly rejected; the Capuans relying on their ovvne ſtrength, and the ſuccours attended from Hannibal. 18. Senses relating to waiting for something. Labels: archaic, figuratively, obsolete, transitive Example: To him, I ſay, vvho hath a proſpect of the different State of perfect Happineſs or Miſery that attends all Men after this Life, depending on their Behaviour here, the meaſures of Good and Evil, that govern his choice, are mightily changed. 19. Senses relating to waiting for something. Labels: archaic, intransitive, obsolete Example: […] God knocketh at the doore of our hearts, but vvorketh nothing in our hearts, till vve firſt of our ſelues aſſent to let him in. He attendeth till vve open him the gates, and then he vvith his heauenly gifts vvill enter in; […] Example: The lady attended as if ſhe expected I ſhould go on. 20. Senses relating to waiting for something. Labels: archaic, intransitive, obsolete, rare 21. Senses relating to waiting for something. Labels: archaic, figuratively, intransitive, obsolete 22. To intend (something). Labels: obsolete