trend

 
Pronunciation: /trɛnd/

noun

  • 1a general direction in which something is developing or changing: an upward trend in sales and profit margins
  • 2a fashion: the latest trends in modern dance

verb

[no object, with adverbial of direction]
  • 1change or develop in a general direction: unemployment has been trending upwards
  • (be trending) (of a topic) be popular or the cause of much discussion on a news or social networking website: I’ve just taken a quick look at what’s trending on Twitter right now (as adjective trending) today’s top trending topics
  • 2(especially of a geographical feature) bend or turn away in a specified direction: the Richelieu River trending southward to Lake Champlain

Origin:

Old English trendan 'revolve, rotate', of Germanic origin; compare with trundle. The verb sense 'turn in a specified direction' dates from the late 16th cent, and gave rise to the figurative use 'develop in a general direction' in the mid 19th century, a development paralleled in the noun