Definition of "fend" []

• To ward off. Often used with off: fend off an attack. (verb-transitive)
• Archaic To defend. (verb-transitive)
• To make an effort to resist: fend against the cold. (verb-intransitive)
• To attempt to manage without assistance: had to fend for ourselves until we were rescued. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "And we were quite disturbed at the end of it, when we found that Rosario had actually put a false name on this note that he shoved in the baby ` s diaper and just left him the way that he did in this parking lot, and as you had mentioned, defenseless, to kind of fend for himself."
• "TIMONEY: Well, that's a-- my understanding is, and I don't know too much about that case, but my understanding was this young 15-year - old may have been bullied in school and brought it with him to school just to kind of fend off bullies."
• ""This is not an intended strike (but) Weyman has adopted a technique with his fend which is highly reckless," Kite argued."