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6 N‑COUNT A bend in a road, pipe, or other long thin object is a curve or angle in it. □  The crash occurred on a sharp bend.

7 VERB If someone bends to your wishes, they believe or do something different, usually when they do not want to. □ [V + to ] Congress has to bend to his will. □ [V ] Do you think she's likely to bend on her attitude to Europe? [Also V n]

8 VERB If you bend rules or laws, you interpret them in a way that allows you to do something they would not normally allow you to do. □ [V n] A minority of officers were prepared to bend the rules.

9 VERB If you bend the truth or bend the facts, you say something that is not exactly true. □ [V n] Sometimes we bend the truth a little in order to spare them the pain of the real facts.

10 → see also bent , hairpin bend

11 PHRASE If you say that someone is bending over backwards to be helpful or kind, you are emphasizing that they are trying very hard to be helpful or kind. [EMPHASIS ] □  People are bending over backwards to please customers.

12 PHRASE If you say that someone or something drives you round the bend , you mean that you dislike them and they annoy or upset you very much. [BRIT , INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □  And can you make that tea before your fidgeting drives me completely round the bend?

bend|ed /be nd I d/ PHRASE If you ask someone for something on bended knee , you ask them very seriously for it. [FORMAL ] □  We beg the Government on bended knee not to cut this budget.

bend|er /be ndə ^r / (benders ) N‑COUNT [usu sing, usu on N ] If someone goes on a bender , they drink a very large amount of alcohol. [INFORMAL ]

bendy /be ndi/ (bendier , bendiest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] A bendy object bends easily into a curved or angled shape. □  …a bendy toy whose limbs bend in every direction.

be|neath ◆◇◇ /b I niː θ/

1 PREP Something that is beneath another thing is under the other thing. □  She could see the muscles of his shoulders beneath his T-shirt. □  She found pleasure in sitting beneath the trees. □  …the frozen grass crunching beneath his feet. ● ADV [n ADV ] Beneath is also an adverb. □  On a shelf beneath he spotted a photo album.

2 PREP If you talk about what is beneath the surface of something, you are talking about the aspects of it which are hidden or not obvious. □  …emotional strains beneath the surface. □  Beneath the festive mood there is an underlying apprehension.

3 PREP If you say that someone or something is beneath you, you feel that they are not good enough for you or not suitable for you. □  They decided she was marrying beneath her. □  Many find themselves having to take jobs far beneath them.

Ben|edic|tine /be n I d I ktin, -tiːn/ (Benedictines ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] A Benedictine is a monk or nun who is a member of a Christian religious community that follows the rule of St. Benedict. □  …the famous Benedictine abbey of St Mary.

ben|edic|tion /be n I d I kʃ ^ə n/ (benedictions )

1 N‑VAR A benediction is a kind of Christian prayer. [FORMAL ] □  The minister pronounced the benediction. □  The Pope's hands were raised in benediction.

2 N‑VAR You can refer to something that makes people feel protected and at peace as a benediction . □  She could only raise her hand in a gesture of benediction.

ben|efac|tor /be n I fæktə ^r / (benefactors ) N‑COUNT A benefactor is a person who helps a person or organization by giving them money. □ [+ of ] In his old age he became a benefactor of the arts.