brood-tending
|brood-tend-ing|
/ˈbruːdˌtɛndɪŋ/
(brood-tend)
care for young
Etymology
'brood-tending' is a modern English compound formed from 'brood' + 'tend', where 'brood' meant 'a group of young' and 'tend' meant 'to care for or attend to'.
'brood' comes from Old English 'brōd' meaning 'offspring'; 'tend' (sense of care) developed via Middle English from Old French/Anglo-French forms related to Latin 'tendere' (earlier senses included 'stretch' and later 'attend/serve'), and the two elements were compounded in Modern English to form 'brood-tend' and its derived forms like 'brood-tending'.
Initially, 'brood' meant 'offspring' and 'tend' had senses related to attending or stretching; over time 'tend' acquired the specialized sense 'to take care of', and the compound came to mean specifically 'to care for the young', a meaning that is stable in present usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or behavior of caring for a brood (the young of animals), especially feeding, protecting, or maintaining nestlings or larvae.
Brood-tending by both parents increases the chicks' chances of survival.
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Verb 1
to tend or care for a brood; to provide food, protection, or maintenance for young animals.
Many bird species brood-tend until the young can fly.
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Verb 2
past tense form of 'brood-tend'.
The parents brood-tended the nest throughout the night.
Verb 3
past participle form of 'brood-tend'.
Having brood-tended for weeks, the workers finally left the brood to the parents.
Adjective 1
describing an individual or behavior that is engaged in caring for a brood; used to specify role or function (e.g., brood-tending worker).
A brood-tending worker ant constantly attends the larvae.
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Last updated: 2025/08/26 14:06