WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
per•pend1
(pûr′pənd),USA pronunciation n.
per•pend2 (pər pend′),USA pronunciation v.t.
v.i.
- Buildinga large stone passing through the entire thickness of a wall.
- ?
- Old French perpein, parpain, perh. representing Medieval Latin parpanus
- variant of parpen, parpend, Middle English perpein, parpein (late Middle English perpend- in compound) a stone dressed on more than one side 1225–75
per•pend2 (pər pend′),USA pronunciation v.t.
- to consider.
v.i.
- to ponder;
deliberate.
- Latin perpendere to weigh carefully, ponder, equivalent. to per- per- + pendere to weigh
- 1520–30
'perpend' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):