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Webster 1913 Edition


Incline

In-cline′

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Inclined
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Inclining
.]
[OE.
inclinen
,
enclinen
, OF.
encliner
,
incliner
, F.
incliner
, L.
inclinare
; pref.
in-
in +
clinare
to bend, incline; akin to E.
lean
. See
Lean
to incline.]
1.
To deviate from a line, direction, or course, toward an object; to lean; to tend;
as, converging lines
incline
toward each other; a road
inclines
to the north or south.
2.
Fig.: To lean or tend, in an intellectual or moral sense; to favor an opinion, a course of conduct, or a person; to have a propensity or inclination; to be disposed.
Their hearts
inclined
to follow Abimelech.
Judges ix. 3.
Power finds its balance, giddy motions cease
In both the scales, and each
inclines
to peace.
Parnell.
Syn. – To lean; slope; slant; tend; bend.

In-cline′

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To cause to deviate from a line, position, or direction; to give a leaning, bend, or slope to;
as,
incline
the column or post to the east;
incline
your head to the right.
Incline
thine ear, O Lord, and hear.
Is. xxxvii. 17.
2.
To impart a tendency or propensity to, as to the will or affections; to turn; to dispose; to influence.
Incline
my heart unto thy testimonies.
Ps. cxix. 36.
Incline
our hearts to keep this law.
Book of Com. Prayer.
3.
To bend; to cause to stoop or bow;
as, to
incline
the head or the body in acts of reverence or civility
.
With due respect my body I
inclined
.
Dryden.

In-cline′

,
Noun.
An inclined plane; an ascent or descent; a grade or gradient; a slope.

Webster 1828 Edition


Incline

INCLI'NE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. inclino; in and clino; Eng. to lean.]
1.
To lean; to deviate from an erect or parallel line toward any object; to tend. Converging lines incline toward each other. A road inclines to the north or south. Connecticut river runs south, inclining in some part of its course to the west, and below middletown, it inclines to the east.
2.
To lean; in a moral sense; to have a propension; to be disposed; to have some wish or desire.
Their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech. Judges 9.
3.
To have an appetite; to be disposed; as, to be inclined to eat.

INCLI'NE

,
Verb.
T.
To cause to deviate from an erect, perpendicular or parallel line; to give a leaning to; as, incline the column or post to the east; incline your head to the right.
1.
To give a tendency or propension to the will or affections; to turn; to dispose.
Incline our hearts to keep this law.
Incline my heart to thy testimonies. Ps.119.
2.
To bend; to cause to stoop or bow; as, to incline the head or the body in acts of reverence or civility.

Definition 2024


incline

incline

See also: incliné

English

Alternative forms

Verb

incline (third-person singular simple present inclines, present participle inclining, simple past and past participle inclined)

  1. (transitive) To bend or move (something) out of a given plane or direction, often the horizontal or vertical.
    He had to incline his body against the gusts to avoid being blown down in the storm.
    The people following the coffin inclined their heads in grief.
  2. (intransitive) To slope.
    Over the centuries the wind made the walls of the farmhouse incline.
  3. To tend to do or believe something, or move or be moved in a certain direction, away from a point of view, attitude, etc.
    He inclines to believe anything he reads in the newspapers.
    I'm inclined to give up smoking after hearing of the risks to my health.
    • 1907, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “chapter VIII”, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 4241346:
      "My tastes," he said, still smiling, "incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet." And, to tease her and arouse her to combat: "I prefer a farandole to a nocturne; I'd rather have a painting than an etching; Mr. Whistler bores me with his monochromatic mud; I don't like dull colours, dull sounds, dull intellects; []."
    • (Can we date this quote?), J. M. G. van der Poel, "Agriculture in Pre- and Protohistoric Times", in the Acta Historiae Neerlandica published by the Netherlands Committee of Historical Sciences, p.170:
      The terp farmer made use of the plough, as is shown by the discovery of three ploughshares and four coulters. [] Those who inclined to the stock-breeding theory based their arguments on the absence of ploughs, [].
    • Usage note: In this sense incline is usually used in the passive voice, and usually intransitively.

Translations

Noun

incline (plural inclines)

  1. A slope.
    • To reach the building, we had to climb a steep incline.

Translations

Related terms


French

Verb

incline

  1. first-person singular present indicative of incliner
  2. third-person singular present indicative of incliner
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of incliner
  4. third-person singular present subjunctive of incliner
  5. second-person singular imperative of incliner

Galician

Verb

incline

  1. first-person singular present subjunctive of inclinar
  2. third-person singular present subjunctive of inclinar

Italian

Adjective

incline m, f (masculine and feminine plural inclini)

  1. inclined, prone

Synonyms


Portuguese

Verb

incline

  1. first-person singular present subjunctive of inclinar
  2. third-person singular present subjunctive of inclinar
  3. third-person singular imperative of inclinar

Spanish

Verb

incline

  1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of inclinar.
  2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of inclinar.
  3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of inclinar.