bendy

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛndi/
  • (pin–pen merger) IPA^(key): /ˈbɪndi/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

  • Homophone: bindi
• Rhymes: -ɛndi

Etymology 1

From bend +‎ -y.

Adjective

bendy (comparative bendier, superlative bendiest)

1. Having the ability to be bent easily.

   Bendy rulers are far more fun than the wooden ones.

2. (informal) Of a person, flexible; having the ability to bend easily; resilient.
   • 2010 September 1, Jackie K. Cooper, “Ashley Bell: The Last Exorcism Introduces the "Bendy" Girl”, in Huffington Post‎, retrieved 2013-05-09:

     When I was in the scene in the barn he encouraged me to do as many contortions as I could, and he seemed to like the fact I was so 'bendy.' … After all how many young actresses in Hollywood are "bendy"?

3. Containing many bends and twists.

   a bendy road

4. (of a vehicle) Articulated.
   • 2009 January 31, Deal Book, “Defining Good or Bad Design”, in NYT‎, retrieved 2013-05-09:

     “The bendy bus is very easy to get on to and can carry twice as many passengers and more people can sit down,” Ms. Cottam said.

Synonyms

• (having the ability to be bent easily): flexible, pliable, supple
• (of a person): flexible, limber, lissom or lissome, lithe, supple
• (having many bends and twists): sinuous, tortuous, twisted, twisty, winding, windy
• (articulated): articulated, jointed

Derived terms

• bendiness
• bendy-boy
• bendy bus
• bendy straw

Translations

Having the ability to be bent easily

Czech: ohebný (cs) Finnish: taipuisa (fi) German: biegsam (de) Maori: pīngore Portuguese: flexível (pt) c Scottish Gaelic: lùbach

Of a person, flexible; having the ability to bend easily

Czech: ohebný (cs) Finnish: notkea (fi) German: gelenkig (de) Maori: moruki (of a body)

Containing many bends and twists

Finnish: mutkikas (fi), mutkitteleva (fi) German: kurvenreich (de), kurvig (de) Scottish Gaelic: lùbach

Of a vehicle, articulated

Czech: kloubový (cs)

Noun

bendy (plural bendies)

1. (UK, slang) A bendy bus.
   • 2016, Matthew Wharmby, The London Bendy Bus: The Bus We Hated, page 92:

     Finally for November, on the 26th double-deckers were restored to the 29, which under bendies had gained an unsavoury reputation that it simply hadn't merited before this form of transport was imposed upon it; […]

Etymology 2

From Middle English bendee, from Old French bendé (past participle).

Bendy of six, or and gules.

Adjective

bendy (comparative more bendy, superlative most bendy)

1. (heraldry) Divided into diagonal bands of colour.
   • 1863, John Gough Nichols, The Herald and Genealogist, page 438:

     7. Talbot, Bendy gules and argent; 8. Comyn, Gules, three garbs within a tressure flory counter-flory or; 9. Valence, Barry of ten argent and azure, an orle of martlets gules;

   • 1904, The Genealogical Magazine, page 446:

     His arms as there displayed are emblazoned on a bendy field of his livery colours vert, argent and gules.

Noun

bendy (plural bendies)

1. (heraldry) A field divided diagonally into several bends, varying in metal and colour.
   • 1927, Descendants of Richard and Elizabeth (Ewen) Talbott of Poplar Knowle, West River, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, page 436:

     The original escutcheon of the Norman family was a bendy of ten, argent and gules.

   • 1985, Stained Glass Before 1700 in American Collections: Corpus Vitrearum Checklist I. New England and New York:

     […] , 3 within a bordure gules a bendy of six or and azure (Burgundy Ancient), 4 sable a lion rampant or (Brabant), overall an inescutcheon or a lion rampant sable (Flanders); encircled by […]

References

• The Manual of Heraldry, Fifth Edition, by Anonymous, London, 1862, online at

See also

• jungle bendy

Anagrams

• Denby, by-end