See Also: intend(dictionary)
intend(dictionary)

intend (iou)



intend verb. Also (earlier) entend. ME.
[Old & mod. French entendre, intendre from Latin intendere extend, direct, intend, promote, formed as IN-2 + tendere to stretch.]
I. Direct the attention to.
a. verb intrans. Direct the mind, pay heed, to, unto. ME-E17.
b. verb refl. Devote oneself; in pass., be devoted. E16-E17.
verb intrans. Endeavour, strive, to do. LME-L17.
verb intrans. & trans. Listen, give ear (to). LME-M16.
verb intrans. & trans. Give personal service or attendance (to). LME-M17.
verb trans. Occupy oneself with, look after. LME-L18.
J. Collier The Priest is supposed only to intend the Affairs of Religion.
b. Superintend, direct. Cf. INTENDANT noun. L18-M19.
II. Apprehend mentally.
verb trans. Understand. ME-E17.
verb intrans. Have or come to an understanding; agree together. LME-E16.
verb intrans. Have an opinion; think, judge. L16-M17.
verb trans. Understand as being, in law; interpret legally. Cf. INTENDMENT noun 3b. E17-L18.
III. Direct the mind to something to be done.
verb intrans. Be minded or resolved. Chiefly with adverb. LME-M17.
M. Grove Let me heare from you, how that you doe entend.
verb trans. Have as one's purpose (an action etc.); plan to do, contemplate doing. LME.
G. Greene Mr Smith asked me to stop the car..and I thought he intended to take a photograph. T. Mo Atkins is the last man to take umbrage where offence was not intended. B. T. Bradford He brought his fist down on the table much harder than he had intended. Soldier I..intend staying to the end of my time.
verb trans. Design or destine for or for a purpose or use, as a thing; have the desire for (a person or thing) to be, to do. Foll. by for a person: have the desire that (a person) shall have or enjoy, or be depicted by. L16.
R. Montagu The regales that are intended for him not being yet at an end. Dickens A degree of familiarity which he..intended for a..compliment. E. O'Neill In a welcoming..grimace, intended as a smile. J. Buchan I was not intended by Providence for a philologist. I. Murdoch He had..informed her that he intended their liaison to be lasting. K. Amis I think we were intended to meet.
verb trans. Mean or refer to by one's words. Also (now rare), of a word, phrase, etc.: signify, denote. L16.
Henry Fielding This word..intends persons without virtue or sense. N. Mosley They rewrote some of his books to say the opposite of what he had intended.
b. Designate as something; call. rare. L16-E17.
Spenser Vesper, whom we the Euening-starre intend.
IV. Fix in a course, direct.
verb trans. Direct (the eyes, thoughts, etc.) to or towards an object. Now rare. LME.
C. Patmore Intend thine eye Into the dim and undiscovered sky.
verb intrans. & trans. Direct (one's course), make (one's way). arch. LME.
James Harris As if..a company of travellers, in some wide forest, were all intending for one city. G. Crabbe Guide him to Fairy-land, who now intends That way his flight.
b. verb intrans. Set out for or for a destination. Sometimes as ellipt. use of sense 11, plan to go or start. M17-E19.
J. Wesley Pray let us know when you or your brother intend for this Kingdom.
verb intrans. Incline or tend in a given direction. LME-M17.
A. Golding The wil intendeth rather to commaund than to obey, and vnto freedom rather than bondage.
verb trans. Institute (legal proceedings). Scot. L16-M18.
verb trans. Assert, claim; pretend. (Foll. by that.) L16-M17.
Shakespeare Richard III Tremble and start at wagging of a straw, Intending deep suspicion.
V. Stretch, extend.
verb trans. Stretch (out), esp. to the maximum limit; strain, make tense. L16-M19.
T. Moore One of the wings of the Swan has been..intended..to cover..Leda. W. Hamilton When we intend the vital powers above the suitable degree we occasion a hindrance, a pain.
verb trans. Increase the intensity of. L16-E18.
C. Purshall A small quantity of Aqua Vitae sprinkled upon the Freezing Mixture, wonderfully intends its Force.
intended ppl adjective & noun (a) ppl adjective that has been intended; esp. designed to be what is denoted by the noun; formerly also, (of a person) resolved to do; (b) noun (colloq.) one's intended husband or wife: L15.
intendedly adverb by design, on purpose M17.