vend

Vend is an English verb meaning to sell or dispose of goods or services to a buyer. The term is most often found in formal, historical, or legal language, and in ordinary contemporary English the verb “sell” is preferred. The basic forms are vend (present), vends (third person singular), vended (past), and vending (present participle).

Etymology and usage notes: Vend comes from Old French vendre, which in turn derives from Latin venire “to come.” In modern usage, vend is comparatively rare outside specialized contexts; it is more common to encounter vendor (the seller) and vending (the act or process of selling), especially in relation to automated devices such as vending machines.

Examples and related terms: In historical or regulatory prose, one might see phrases like “to vend goods within the market” or “the parties agree to vend the property to the purchaser.” In everyday language, people say “to sell.” A vending machine is a common manifestation of the concept, as it automatically vends snacks or beverages. Related terms include vendor (the seller) and the noun vend meaning a sale or act of vend-ing, though the latter is rare in modern usage.

Overall, vend remains a valid but infrequent synonym for sell, largely confined to formal, legal, or historical contexts, with everyday commerce typically described using the more common verb sell and its related forms.