From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Portend \Por*tend"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Portended}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Portending}.] [L. portendre, portentum, to foretell,
to predict, to impend, from an old preposition used in comp.
+ tendere to stretch. See {Position}, {Tend}.]
1. To indicate (events, misfortunes, etc.) as in future; to
foreshow; to foretoken; to bode; -- now used esp. of
unpropitious signs. --Bacon.
[1913 Webster]
Many signs portended a dark and stormy day.
--Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
2. To stretch out before. [R.] "Doomed to feel the great
Idomeneus' portended steel." --Pope.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: To foreshow; foretoken; betoken; forebode; augur;
presage; foreshadow; threaten.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
portend
v 1: indicate by signs; "These signs bode bad news" [syn:
{bode}, {portend}, {auspicate}, {prognosticate}, {omen},
{presage}, {betoken}, {foreshadow}, {augur}, {foretell},
{prefigure}, {forecast}, {predict}]
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