FENDS
Verb
fends
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of fend
Anagrams
• def'ns
Source: Wiktionary
FEND
Fend, n.
Definition: A fiend. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fend, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fended; p. pr. & vb. n. Fending.] Etym:
[Abbrev. fr. defend.]
Definition: To keep off; to prevent from entering or hitting; to ward off;
to shut out; -- often with off; as, to fend off blows.
With fern beneath to fend the bitter cold. Dryden.
To fend off a boat or vessel (Naut.), to prevent its running against
anything with too much violence.
Fend, v. i.
Definition: To act on the defensive, or in opposition; to resist; to parry;
to shift off.
The dexterous management of terms, and being able to fend . . . with
them, passes for a great part of learning. Locke.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition