[trend] vi [ME, to turn, revolve, fr. OE trendan; akin to MHG trendel disk, spinning top] (1598) 1 a: to extend in a general direction: follow a general course "mountain ranges ~ing north and south" b: to veer in a new direction: bend "coastline that ~s westward"
2. a: to show a tendency: incline "prices ~ing upward" b: to become deflected: shift "opinions ~ing toward conservatism"
[2]trend n (1777) 1: a line of general direction or movement "the ~ of the coast turned toward the west"
2. a: a prevailing tendency or inclination: drift b: a general movement: swing "the ~ toward suburban living" c: a current style or preference: vogue "new fashion ~s" d: a line of development: approach
3: the general movement in the course of time of a statistically detectable change; also: a statistical curve reflecting such a change syn see tendency