Trend Once Meant to Turn or Roll
A trend is a general direction of change. The Old English verb meant to revolve, and the modern sense is surprisingly recent.
A trend is a general direction in which something is developing. Old English *trendan* meant to turn or roll, and for centuries the word described physical direction — a coastline that *trends* northward. The statistical and fashion senses arrived only in the 1800s, and *trending* as a description of online popularity dates from around 2008. The related *trundle* keeps the rolling sense, as does the *trend* of a river's course.
- A direction of change. *An upward trend.*
- A fashion. *The latest trend.*
- To incline. *The coast trends north.*
- Trending — currently popular. *Trending online.*
- Old English — *trendan*, to turn. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | trend | A trend. |
| Plural | trends | Trends. |
| Verb | trend | Trending. |
| Adjective | trendy | Trendy. |
| Related | trundle | Trundle. |
- Prices show an upward trend.Statistics.
- The coastline trends northeast.Geography.
- The topic is trending.Online.
Words the internet redefined
- Trending — currently popular, from about 2008
- Viral — spreading rapidly, from epidemiology
- Stream — from a flow of water to continuous media
- Feed — from feeding animals to a scrolling list
- Thread — from sewing to a chain of messages
Old English *trendan*, to turn or roll, of Germanic origin, related to *trundle*.
What did trend originally mean?
To turn or roll. For centuries it described physical direction, as in a coastline trending northward.
How old is trending in the online sense?
Recent. It dates from around 2008, when social platforms began ranking topics by rising popularity.