untended

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   not cared for or maintained

   The untended garden soon became overgrown with weeds.

2. 2
   adj

   left without someone watching, attending, or giving necessary care

   The nurse found that two patients had been left untended during the emergency.

Formed from the negative prefix un- + tended. In the relevant sense, tend is a shortening of attend, from Middle English atenden and Old French atendre, ultimately Latin attendere, literally "to stretch toward" and hence "to give attention to."

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