Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - bend

~1 bend, v past tense and past participle bent bent 1 »MOVE YOUR BODY« to move the top half of your body forwards or downwards + towards/across etc  (He bent towards me and whispered in my ear.) bend over (=bend your body at the waist)  (She was bending over the basin, washing her hair. | bend down (=bend your body at the knees or waist))  (I bent down to lift the box off the floor.) 2 »CURVE« a) to push or press something into a curved shape or fold it at an angle  (Bend your arms and then stretch them upwards. | bend sth back/away etc)  (I'll bend the branches back so that you can get through.) b) to be in the shape of a curve or to change to this shape  (The wire bent easily.) 3 bend the rules to do something that is not normally allowed, but will not cause serious problems, usually in order to help someone else  (You should really pay today, but we can bend the rules just this once.) 4 bend over backwards (to do sth) to try very hard to be helpful  (I've been bending over backwards to get it done on time for them.) 5 bend sb's ear spoken to talk to someone, especially about something that is worrying you 6 on bended knee a) trying very hard to persuade someone to do something  (If I go on bended knee to the boss, do you think she'd give me my job back?) b) in a kneeling position 7 bend your mind/efforts/thoughts etc to formal to give all your energy or attention to one activity, plan etc ~2 n 1 a curved part of something, especially a road or river  (The taxi swung around the bend at a terrifying speed.) + in  (a sharp bend in the river) 2 an action in which you bend a part of your body  (We started the session with a few knee bends to warm up.) 3 the bends a very painful and serious condition that divers get when they come up from under the sea too quickly 4 drive sb round the bend spoken especially BrE to annoy someone 5 be/go round the bend spoken especially BrE to be or become crazy  (You must be round the bend to let her treat you like that.)