Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
TREND
I. intransitive verb
Etymology: Middle English, to turn, revolve, from Old English trendan; akin to Middle High German trendel disk, spinning top
Date: 1598
1. to extend in a general direction ; follow a general course , to veer in a new direction ; bend ,
2. to show a tendency ; incline , to become deflected ; shift ,
II. noun
Date: circa 1777
a line of general direction or movement ,
2. a prevailing tendency or inclination ; drift , a general movement ; swing , a current style or preference ; vogue , a line of development ; approach , the general movement over time of a statistically detectable change, see: tendency