fend

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Fended; p. pr. & vb. n. Fending. ] [ Abbrev. fr. defend. ] To keep off; to prevent from entering or hitting; to ward off; to shut out; -- often with off; as, to fend off blows. [ 1913 Webster ]

With fern beneath to fend the bitter cold. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

To fend off a boat or
To fend off a vessel (Naut.), to prevent its running against anything with too much violence. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To act on the defensive, or in opposition; to resist; to parry; to shift off. [ 1913 Webster ]

The dexterous management of terms, and being able to fend . . . with them, passes for a great part of learning. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Fend, v. t. & i., cf. Defender. ] One who or that which defends or protects by warding off harm; as: (a) A screen to prevent coals or sparks of an open fire from escaping to the floor. (b) Anything serving as a cushion to lessen the shock when a vessel comes in contact with another vessel or a wharf. (c) A screen to protect a carriage from mud thrown off the wheels: also, a splashboard. (d) Anything set up to protect an exposed angle, as of a house, from damage by carriage wheels. [ 1913 Webster ]