mend

—mendable, adj.

/mend/, v.t.

1. to make (something broken, worn, torn, or otherwise damaged) whole, sound, or usable by repairing: to mend old clothes; to mend a broken toy.

2. to remove or correct defects or errors in.

3. to set right; make better; improve: to mend matters.

v.i.

4. to progress toward recovery, as a sick person.

5. (of broken bones) to grow back together; knit.

6. to improve, as conditions or affairs.

7. mend sail, Naut. to refurl sails that have been badly furled. Also, mend the furl.

n.

8. the act of mending; repair or improvement.

9. a mended place.

10. on the mend,

a. recovering from an illness.

b. improving in general, as a state of affairs: The breach between father and son is on the mend.

[1150-1200; ME menden, aph. var. of AMEND]

Syn. 1. fix, restore, retouch. MEND, DARN, PATCH mean to repair something and thus renew its usefulness. MEND is a general expression that emphasizes the idea of making whole something damaged: to mend a broken dish, a tear in an apron. DARN and PATCH are more specific, referring particularly to repairing holes or rents. To DARN is to repair by means of stitches interwoven with one another: to darn stockings. To PATCH is to cover a hole or rent (usually) with a piece or pieces of similar material and to secure the edges of these; it implies a more temporary or makeshift repair than the others: to patch the knees of trousers, a rubber tire. 2. rectify, amend, emend. 3. ameliorate, meliorate. 4. heal, recover, amend.

Ant. 1. ruin, destroy, 4. die, sicken.

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