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Veer vs Bend - What's the difference?

veer | bend |

In intransitive terms the difference between veer and bend

is that veer is to change direction or course suddenly; to swerve while bend is to apply oneself to a task or purpose.

In intransitive nautical terms the difference between veer and bend

is that veer is to change direction into the wind; to wear ship while bend is to swing the body when rowing.

In transitive terms the difference between veer and bend

is that veer is to turn while bend is to adapt or interpret to for a purpose or beneficiary.

As verbs the difference between veer and bend

is that veer is to let out (a sail-line), to allow (a sheet) to run out while bend is to cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.

As nouns the difference between veer and bend

is that veer is a turn or swerve; an instance of veering while bend is a curve.

veer

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Verb

(en verb)
  • (obsolete, nautical) To let out (a sail-line), to allow (a sheet) to run out.
  • *1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , volume 12:
  • *:As when a skilfull Marriner doth reed / A storme approching, that doth perill threat, / He will not bide the daunger of such dread, / But strikes his sayles, and vereth his mainsheat, / And lends vnto it leaue the emptie ayre to beat.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) virer.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A turn or swerve; an instance of veering.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To change direction or course suddenly; to swerve.
  • The car slid on the ice and veered out of control.
  • * (rfdate), Dryden:
  • And as he leads, the following navy veers .
  • * (rfdate), Burke:
  • An ordinary community which is hostile or friendly as passion or as interest may veer about.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=November 7, author=Matt Bai, title=Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds, work=New York Times citation
  • , passage=At this time in 2008, even as the global economy veered toward collapse, optimism about Washington ran surprisingly high.}}
  • (of the wind) To shift in a clockwise direction (if in the Northern Hemisphere, or in a counterclockwise direction if in the Southern Hemisphere).Bowditch 2002
  • (intransitive, nautical, of the wind) To shift aft.
  • (nautical) To change direction into the wind; to ship.
  • To turn.
  • Antonyms
    * back * haul forward

    References

    Anagrams

    * ----

    bend

    English

    Verb

  • To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.
  • If you bend the pipe too far, it will break.
    Don’t bend your knees.
  • To become curved.
  • Look at the trees bending in the wind.
  • To cause to change direction.
  • * Milton
  • Bend thine ear to supplication.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Towards Coventry bend we our course.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
  • bending her eyes upon her parent
  • To change direction.
  • The road bends to the right
  • To be inclined; to direct itself.
  • * Milton
  • to whom our vows and wishes bend
  • To stoop.
  • He bent down to pick up the pieces.
  • To bow in prayer, or in token of submission.
  • * Coleridge
  • Each to his great Father bends .
  • To force to submit.
  • They bent me to their will.
  • * Shakespeare
  • except she bend her humour
  • To submit.
  • I am bending to my desire to eat junk food.
  • To apply to a task or purpose.
  • He bent the company's resources to gaining market share.
  • * Temple
  • to bend his mind to any public business
  • * Alexander Pope
  • when to mischief mortals bend their will
  • To apply oneself to a task or purpose.
  • He bent to the goal of gaining market share.
  • To adapt or interpret to for a purpose or beneficiary.
  • (nautical) To tie, as in securing a line to a cleat; to shackle a chain to an anchor; make fast.
  • Bend the sail to the yard.
  • (music) To smoothly change the pitch of a note.
  • You should bend the G slightly sharp in the next measure.
  • (nautical) To swing the body when rowing.
  • Derived terms

    * bend down * bend over * bend over backwards * bend somebody's ear * on bended knee * bend one's elbow * bend out of shape * bend the truth

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A curve.
  • * 1968 , (Johnny Cash),
  • I hear the train a comin'/It's rolling round the bend
  • * , chapter=1
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage=I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn.}}
  • (nautical) Any of the various knots which join the ends of two lines.
  • (Totten)
  • A severe condition caused by excessively quick decompression, causing bubbles of nitrogen to form in the blood; decompression sickness.
  • (heraldiccharge) One of the honourable ordinaries formed by two diagonal lines drawn from the dexter chief to the sinister base; it generally occupies a fifth part of the shield if uncharged, but if charged one third.
  • (obsolete) Turn; purpose; inclination; ends.
  • * Fletcher
  • Farewell, poor swain; thou art not for my bend .
  • In the leather trade, the best quality of sole leather; a butt.
  • (mining) Hard, indurated clay; bind.
  • (nautical, in the plural) The thickest and strongest planks in a ship's sides, more generally called wales, which have the beams, knees, and futtocks bolted to them.
  • (nautical, in the plural) The frames or ribs that form the ship's body from the keel to the top of the sides.
  • the midship bends

    Derived terms

    * around the bend * bend sinister * bendlet * bendsome * bendy * drive somebody round the bend * in bend * sheet bend * string bend

    References

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