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Vary vs Mend - What's the difference?

vary | mend |

As verbs the difference between vary and mend

is that vary is to change with time or a similar parameter while mend is to repair, as anything that is torn, broken, defaced, decayed, or the like; to restore from partial decay, injury, or defacement; to patch up; to put in shape or order again; to re-create; as, to mend a garment or a machine.

As nouns the difference between vary and mend

is that vary is alteration; change while mend is a place, as in clothing, which has been repaired by mending.

vary

English

Verb

(en-verb)
  • To change with time or a similar parameter.
    • He varies his magic tricks so as to minimize the possibility that any given audience member will see the same trick twice.
  • To institute a change in, from a current state; to modify.
    • You should vary your diet. Eating just bread will do you harm in the end.
  • * Waller
    • Gods, that never change their state, / Vary oft their love and hate.
  • * Dryden
    • We are to vary the customs according to the time and country where the scene of action lies.
  • Not to remain constant: to change with time or a similar parameter.
    • His mood varies by the hour.
    The sine function varies between &
  • x2212;1 and 1.
  • * Addison
    • While fear and anger, with alternate grace, / Pant in her breast, and vary in her face.
  • (of the members of a group) To display differences.
    • ''The sprouting tendency of potatoes varies between cultivars, years and places of growing.
  • To be or act different from the usual.
    • I'm not comfortable with 3.Nc3 in the Caro-Kann, so I decided to vary and play exd5.
  • To make of different kinds; to make different from one another; to diversity; to variegate.
  • * Sir Thomas Browne
    • God hath varied their inclinations.
  • * Milton
    • God hath here / Varied his bounty so with new delights.
  • (music) To embellish; to change fancifully; to present under new aspects, as of form, key, measure, etc. See variation .
  • (obsolete) To disagree; to be at variance or in dissension.
  • * Webster (1623)
    • the rich jewel which we vary for

    Noun

    (-)
  • (obsolete) Alteration; change.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Related terms

    * variability * variable * variance * variant * variation * varied * variety * various

    External links

    * *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    mend

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A place, as in clothing, which has been repaired by mending.
  • The act of repairing.
    • My trousers have a big rip in them and need a mend .

    Derived terms

    * on the mend

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To repair, as anything that is torn, broken, defaced, decayed, or the like; to restore from partial decay, injury, or defacement; to patch up; to put in shape or order again; to re-create; as, to mend a garment or a machine.
    • My trousers have a big rip in them and need mending .
    When your car breaks down, you can take it to the garage to have it mended .
  • To alter for the better; to set right; to reform; hence, to quicken; as, to mend one's manners or pace.
    • Her stutter was mended by a speech therapist.
    My broken heart was mended .
  • * Sir W. Temple
    • The best service they could do the state was to mend the lives of the persons who composed it.
  • To help, to advance, to further; to add to.
  • * Mortimer
    • Though in some lands the grass is but short, yet it mends garden herbs and fruit.
  • * Shakespeare
    • You mend the jewel by wearing it.
  • To grow better; to advance to a better state; to become improved.

    • Derived terms

    * mend one's pace
    Synonyms
    * See also

    Related terms

    * amend * mend

    External links

    * * * English ergative verbs