Fend — Defs

01 n. A fiend.

02 v. t. To keep off; to prevent from entering or hitting; to ward off; to shut out; -- often with off; as, to fend off blows.

imp. & p. p. Fended; p. pr. & vb. n. Fending

1.
To keep off; to prevent from entering or hitting; to ward off; to shut out; -- often with off; as, to fend off blows.
“With fern beneath to fend the bitter cold.” — Dryden.

Phrases & compounds

To fend off a boat — to prevent its running against anything with too much violence.

03 v. i. To act on the defensive, or in opposition; to resist; to parry; to shift off.

1.
To act on the defensive, or in opposition; to resist; to parry; to shift off.
“The dexterous management of terms, and being able to fend . . . with them, passes for a great part of learning.” — Locke.