attend

Verb

WordNet 3.0

Verb (5)

  1. be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.“She attends class regularly”“I rarely attend services at my church”“did you go to the meeting?”Synonyms: go to
  2. take charge of or deal with“Could you see about lunch?”“I must attend to this matter”“She took care of this business”Synonyms: take carelooksee
  3. to accompany as a circumstance or follow as a result“Menuhin's playing was attended by a 15-minute standing ovation”
  4. work for or be a servant to“May I serve you?”“She attends the old lady in the wheelchair”“Can you wait on our table, please?”“Is a salesperson assisting you?”“The minister served the King for many years”Synonyms: serveattend towait onassist
  5. give heed (to)“The children in the audience attended the recital quietly”“She hung on his every word”“They attended to everything he said”Synonyms: hangadvertpay heedgive ear
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Attend \At*tend"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attended; p. pr. & vb. n. Attending.] [OE. atenden, OF. atendre, F. attendre, to expect, to wait, fr. L. attendre to stretch, (sc. animum), to apply the mind to; ad + tendere to stretch. See Tend.]

1.To direct the attention to; to fix the mind upon; to give heed to; to regard. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

The diligent pilot in a dangerous tempest doth not attend the unskillful words of the passenger.— Sir P. Sidney.[1913 Webster]

2.To care for; to look after; to take charge of; to watch over. [1913 Webster]

3.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. [1913 Webster]

The fifth had charge sick persons to attend.— Spenser.[1913 Webster]
Attends the emperor in his royal court.— Shak.[1913 Webster]
With a sore heart and a gloomy brow, he prepared to attend William thither.— Macaulay.[1913 Webster]

4.To be present with; to accompany; to be united or consequent to; as, a measure attended with ill effects. [1913 Webster]

What cares must then attend the toiling swain.— Dryden.[1913 Webster]

5.To be present at; as, to attend church, school, a concert, a business meeting. [1913 Webster]

6.To wait for; to await; to remain, abide, or be in store for. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

The state that attends all men after this.— Locke.[1913 Webster]
Three days I promised to attend my doom.— Dryden.[1913 Webster]

Syn: To Attend, Mind, Regard, Heed, Notice.

Usage: Attend is generic, the rest are specific terms. To mind is to attend so that it may not be forgotten; to regard is to look on a thing as of importance; to heed is to attend to a thing from a principle of caution; to notice is to think on that which strikes the senses. --Crabb. See Accompany. [1913 Webster]


Attend \At*tend"\, v. i.

1.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. [1913 Webster]

Attend to the voice of my supplications.— Ps. lxxxvi. 6.[1913 Webster]
Man can not at the same time attend to two objects.— Jer. Taylor.[1913 Webster]

2.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. [1913 Webster]

He was required to attend upon the committee.— Clarendon.[1913 Webster]

3.(with to) To take charge of; to look after; as, to attend to a matter of business. [1913 Webster]

4.To wait; to stay; to delay. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

For this perfection she must yet attend, Till to her Maker she espoused be.— Sir J. Davies.[1913 Webster]

Syn: To Attend, Listen, Hearken.

Usage: We attend with a view to hear and learn; we listen with fixed attention, in order to hear correctly, or to consider what has been said; we hearken when we listen with a willing mind, and in reference to obeying. [1913 Webster]

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