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depend - 4 dictionary results

de⋅pend

[di-pend]
–verb (used without object)
1. to rely; place trust (usually fol. by on or upon): You may depend on the accuracy of the report.
2. to rely for support, maintenance, help, etc. (usually fol. by on or upon): Children depend on their parents.
3. to be conditioned or contingent (usually fol. by on or upon): His success here depends upon effort and ability.
4. to be undetermined or pending: I may go to Europe or I may not, it all depends.
5. Grammar. (of a word or other linguistic form) to be subordinate to another linguistic form in the same construction; to form a part of a construction other than the head.
6. to hang down; be suspended (usually fol. by from): The chandelier depends from the ceiling of the ballroom.

Origin:
1375–1425; late ME dependen < OF dependre < L dēpendere to hang down, equiv. to dē- de- + pendere to hang
de·pend   (dĭ-pěnd')   
intr.v.   de·pend·ed, de·pend·ing, de·pends
  1. To rely, especially for support or maintenance: Children must depend on their parents.
  2. To place trust or confidence: You can depend on his honesty. See Synonyms at rely.
  3. To be determined, conditioned, or contingent: a grade depending on the results of the final exam.
  4. To have a dependence: began to depend more and more on drugs.
  5. To be pending or undecided, as in a court or legislature.
  6. To hang down: "And ever-living Lamps depend in Rows" (Alexander Pope).

[Middle English dependen, to hang down, from Old French dependre, from Latin dēpendēre : dē-, de- + pendēre, to hang; see (s)pen- in Indo-European roots.]
Usage Note: In writing, depend is followed by on or upon when indicating condition or contingency, as in It depends on who is in charge. Omission of the preposition is typical of casual speech.

Depend

De*pend"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Depended; p. pr. & vb. n. Depending.] [F. d['e]pendre, fr. L. depend?re; de- + pend?re to hang. See Pendant.]

1. To hang down; to be sustained by being fastened or attached to something above.

And ever-living lamps depend in rows. --Pope.

2. To hang in suspense; to be pending; to be undetermined or undecided; as, a cause depending in court.

You will not think it unnatural that those who have an object depending, which strongly engages their hopes and fears, should be somewhat inclined to superstition. --Burke.

3. To rely for support; to be conditioned or contingent; to be connected with anything, as a cause of existence, or as a necessary condition; -- followed by on or upon, formerly by of.

The truth of God's word dependeth not of the truth of the congregation. --Tyndale.

The conclusion . . . that our happiness depends little on political institutions, and much on the temper and regulation of our own minds. --Macaulay.

Heaven forming each on other to depend. --Pope.

4. To trust; to rest with confidence; to rely; to confide; to be certain; -- with on or upon; as, we depend on the word or assurance of our friends; we depend on the mail at the usual hour.

But if you 're rough, and use him like a dog, Depend upon it -- he 'll remain incog. --Addison.

5. To serve; to attend; to act as a dependent or retainer. [Obs.] --Shak.

6. To impend. [Obs.] --Shak.
Language Translation for : depend
Spanish: contar con, fiarse de,
German: sich verlassen auf,
Japanese: 当てにする

depend 
1413, "to be attached to as a condition or cause," fig. use, from M.Fr. dependre "to hang from, hang down," from L. dependere, from de- "from, down" + pendere "to hang, be suspended" (see pendant). Dependence was spelled -ance from time of borrowing from Fr. c.1400 until respelling c.1800 by influence of Latin; dependant (1523) usually retains the Fr. form. Dependable is from 1735.
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