noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American, Received-Pronunciation:/wɛnd/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
pin-pen-merger:/wɪ̟nd/
rhymes with -ɛnd
homophone: wind (pin-pen merger)
homophone: when'd
CMU ARPABET:W EH1 N D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A large extent of ground; a perambulation; a circuit
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, obsolete
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland; a Sorb; a Kashub.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A Slavic person living anywhere in the vicinity of German-speaking areas.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
We wended our weary way westward.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To turn; change, to adapt.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To turn; make a turn; go round; veer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To pass away; disappear; depart; vanish.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
direct one's course or way
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
wend your way through the crowds
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: travel, go, move, locomote
History
Etymology
From Middle English wenden, from Old English wendan (“to turn, change, translate”), from Proto-West Germanic *wandijan, from Proto-Germanic *wandijaną (“to turn”), causative of *windaną (“to wind”), from Proto-Indo-European *wendh- (“to turn, wind, braid”). Cognate with Dutch wenden (“to turn”), German wenden (“to turn, reverse”), Danish vende (“to turn”), Norwegian Bokmål vende (“to turn”), Norwegian Nynorsk venda (“to turn”), Swedish vända (“to turn, turn over, veer, direct”), Icelandic venda (“to wend, turn, change”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wandjan, “to cause to turn”). Related to wind (Etymology 2).
From German Wende, from Proto-Germanic *Winidaz, the same source as Old English Winedas (“Slavs”).
Across languages
Translations
31 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Danish:
vender
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Esperanto:
Vendo
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Finnish:
vendi
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
French:
Wende
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
German:
Wende
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
German:
Wendin
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Italian:
venedo
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Italian:
vendo
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Norwegian Bokmål:
vender
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Norwegian Nynorsk:
vender
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Old English:
Winedas
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Old Norse:
vindr
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Old Norse:
vendr
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Polish:
Wend
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Portuguese:
vendo
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Russian:
венд
(vend)
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Russian:
винд
(vind)
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Russian:
вене́д
(venéd)
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Spanish:
vendo
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Ukrainian:
венд
(vend)
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Ukrainian:
вінд
(vind)
— member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
Bulgarian:
тръгвам
(trǎgvam)
— to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
Bulgarian:
отправям се
(otpravjam se)
— to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
Czech:
ubírat se
— to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
Czech:
směřovat
— to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
Czech:
namířit si to
— to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
German:
folgen
— to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
German:
verfolgen
— to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
Russian:
направляться
(napravljatʹsja)
— to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
Turkish:
yönelmek
— to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
Ukrainian:
прямувати
(prjamuvaty)
— to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way