Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To be present at.
  • intransitive verb To go regularly to.
  • intransitive verb To accompany as a circumstance or follow as a result.
  • intransitive verb To take care of (a sick person, for example). synonym: tend.
  • intransitive verb To accompany or wait upon as a companion or servant.
  • intransitive verb To take charge of.
  • intransitive verb To listen to; heed.
  • intransitive verb Archaic To wait for; expect.
  • intransitive verb To be present, as at a scheduled event.
  • intransitive verb To take care; give attention.
  • intransitive verb To apply or direct oneself; take action.
  • intransitive verb To pay attention.
  • intransitive verb To remain ready to serve; wait.
  • intransitive verb Obsolete To delay or wait.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To fix the mind upon; listen to; have regard or pay heed to; consider.
  • To accompany or be present with, as a companion, minister, or servant, or for the fulfilment of any duty; wait upon.
  • To be present at or in for purposes of duty, business, curiosity, pleasure, etc.: as, to attend a meeting.
  • To accompany or follow in immediate sequence, especially with a causal connection: said of things: as, a cold attended with fever; a measure attended with bad results.
  • To wait or stay for; expect, as a person or an event.
  • To be in store for; await.
  • To give attention; pay regard or heed: followed by to: as, my son, attend to my words.
  • To be present, in pursuance of duty, business, or pleasure; especially, act as an attendant: absolutely, or with on or upon, or at: as, who attends here ? to attend upon a committee; to attend at such a church. Hence To fix the mind in worship: with on or upon.
  • To be consequent; wait: with on or upon.
  • To stay; wait; delay.
  • noun Attendance.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To direct the attention to; to fix the mind upon; to give heed to; to regard.
  • transitive verb To care for; to look after; to take charge of; to watch over.
  • transitive verb To go or stay with, as a companion, nurse, or servant; to visit professionally, as a physician; to accompany or follow in order to do service; to escort; to wait on; to serve.
  • transitive verb To be present with; to accompany; to be united or consequent to.
  • transitive verb To be present at.
  • transitive verb obsolete To wait for; to await; to remain, abide, or be in store for.
  • intransitive verb To apply the mind, or pay attention, with a view to perceive, understand, or comply; to pay regard; to heed; to listen; -- usually followed by to.
  • intransitive verb To accompany or be present or near at hand, in pursuance of duty; to be ready for service; to wait or be in waiting; -- often followed by on or upon.
  • intransitive verb (with to) To take charge of; to look after.
  • intransitive verb obsolete To wait; to stay; to delay.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Alternative form of atend ("to kindle").

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb take charge of or deal with
  • verb give heed (to)
  • verb to accompany as a circumstance or follow as a result
  • verb be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
  • verb work for or be a servant to

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English attenden, from Old French atendre, from Latin attendere, to heed : ad-, ad- + tendere, to stretch; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English attenden, atenden, from Old French atendre ("to attend, listen"), from Latin attendere ("to stretch toward, give heed to"), from ad ("to") + tendere ("to stretch"); see tend and compare attempt.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English attenden, atenden, from Old English ātendan ("to set on fire, kindle, inflame, trouble, perplex"), equivalent to a- +‎ tend.

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Examples

Comments

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  • WordNET shows quite a number of meanings for what is all-in-all not a very interesting verb.

    April 5, 2008

  • An oligosemantonym, you mean?

    April 5, 2008

  • I think I did Pro :-)

    April 5, 2008

  • I love this quote from CNN: "Amy Winehouse voluntarily attended a London police station today by appointment. She was arrested in order to be interviewed and is cooperating fully with inquiries." She attended a police station, like a concert, or a school lecture. Brilliant!

    May 8, 2008