Portend

WORD OF THE DAY

portend / verb / por-TEND

Definition
1: to give an omen or anticipatory sign of
2: indicate, signify

Examples
“While readers may at times wish [author Robert] Hardman’s own views were presented more directly, he ultimately makes a clear argument that the United Kingdom—however loosely united it is these days—is unlikely to do away with the monarchy, even if the end of the Elizabethan era portends significant changes.”
— Autumn Brewington, The Washington Post, 12 Sept. 2022

And the way Clemson arrived on the scene and stayed could portend exactly what the Bulldogs are preparing to do.
—cleveland, 9 Nov. 2022

Did You Know?
It may seem like a stretch to say that portend, beloved verb of seers, soothsayers, and meteorologists alike, is related to tendon—the word we use to refer to the dense white fibrous tissue that helps us, well, stretch—but it’s likely true.
Portend comes from the Latin verb portendere (“to predict or foretell”), which in turn developed as a combination of the prefix por- (“forward”) and the verb tendere (“to stretch”).
Tendere is thought to have led to tendon, among other words.
So you might imagine portend as having a literal meaning of “stretching forward to predict.”
In any event, the history of the word surely showcases the flexibility of our language.