vend

verb

ˈvend 

vended; vending; vends

transitive verb

1

a

: to sell especially as a hawker or peddler

b

: to sell by means of vending machines

2

: to utter publicly

intransitive verb

: to dispose of something by sale : sell

also : to engage in selling

Synonyms

• sell

Examples of vend in a Sentence

vends snack foods and novelties at fairs

Recent Examples on the Web

Employees received official notice early this month of plans to close the Goddard Visitor Center, as well the cafeteria and vending services for employees. —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2025

Ease vending recently replaced the CNBC Express kiosk near Gate B18. —Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 15 Aug. 2025

Taco Bell has also supported street vendors in Southern California by providing 46 vending carts to local food purveyors, as part of a partnership with Revolution Carts. —Mike Snider, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025

Mayor Adams vetoed a City Council bill late Wednesday that would decriminalize unlicensed street vending in the five boroughs, teeing up a likely override battle with the chamber’s Democratic members, who accused the mayor of playing into President Trump’s immigration agenda. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 31 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Latin; French vendre "to sell," going back to Old French, going back to Latin vēndere, contraction of vēnum dare, literally, "to give for sale" — more at venial, date entry 2

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

vend

verb

ˈvend 

: to offer for sale (as in a vending machine) : sell

vender noun

Legal Definition

vend

intransitive verb

ˈvend 

: to dispose of something by sale : sell

also : to engage in selling

transitive verb

: to sell especially as a hawker or peddler