- portend
- \ \ see TEND
Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
portend
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Portend — Por*tend , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Portended}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Portending}.] [L. portendre, portentum, to foretell, to predict, to impend, from an old preposition used in comp. + tendere to stretch. See {Position}, {Tend}.] 1. To indicate (events,… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
portend — I verb adumbrate, announce, augur, augurate, auspicate, be an omen, be harbinger, betoken, bode, caution, divine, forebode, forecast, foreshadow, foreshow, foretell, foretoken, forewarn, give token, herald, indicate, indicate beforehand, menace,… … Law dictionary
portend — early 15c., from L. portendere foretell, originally to stretch forward, from por (variant of pro ) forth, forward + tendere to stretch, extend (see TENET (Cf. tenet)) … Etymology dictionary
portend — presage, augur, prognosticate, *foretell, predict, forecast, prophesy, forebode Analogous words: betoken, indicate, bespeak, attest: signify, import, *mean, denote … New Dictionary of Synonyms
portend — [v] foreshadow, indicate adumbrate, augur, be in the cards*, bespeak, betoken, bode, call*, crystal ball*, forebode, forecast, foreshow, foretell, foretoken, forewarn, harbinger, have a hunch, herald, hint, omen, point to, predict, premonish,… … New thesaurus
portend — ► VERB ▪ be a sign or warning that (something momentous or disastrous) is likely to happen. ORIGIN Latin portendere foretell, presage … English terms dictionary
portend — [pôr tend′] vt. [ME portenden < L portendere < por , akin to per, through + tendere, to stretch: see THIN] 1. to be an omen or warning of; foreshadow; presage 2. to be an indication of; signify … English World dictionary
portend — /pawr tend , pohr /, v.t. 1. to indicate in advance; to foreshadow or presage, as an omen does: The street incident may portend a general uprising. 2. to signify; mean. [1400 50; late ME < L portendere to point out, indicate, portend, var. of… … Universalium
portend — UK [pɔː(r)ˈtend] / US [pɔrˈtend] verb [transitive] Word forms portend : present tense I/you/we/they portend he/she/it portends present participle portending past tense portended past participle portended literary to be a sign or warning of… … English dictionary
portend — verb /pɔːˈtɛnd/ a) to serve as a warning or omen A kingdom they portend thee, but what kingdom, / Real or allegoric, I discern not; Nor when: eternal sureas without end, , Paradise Lost b) to signify; to denote Let it be known that the Rapture… … Wiktionary
portend — por|tend [po:ˈtend US po:r ] v [T] literary [Date: 1400 1500; : Latin; Origin: portendere to stretch forward , from tendere to stretch ] to be a sign that something is going to happen, especially something bad ▪ strange events that portend… … Dictionary of contemporary English
