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Webster 1913 Edition


Inflect

In-flect′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Inflected
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Inflecting
.]
[L.
inflectere
,
inflexum
; pref.
in-
in +
flectere
to bend. See
Flexible
, and cf.
Inflex
.]
1.
To turn from a direct line or course; to bend; to incline, to deflect; to curve; to bow.
Are they [the rays of the sun] not reflected, refracted, and
inflected
by one and the same principle ?
Sir I. Newton.
2.
(Gram.)
To vary, as a noun or a verb in its terminations; to decline, as a noun or adjective, or to conjugate, as a verb.
3.
To modulate, as the voice.

Webster 1828 Edition


Inflect

INFLECT'

,
Verb.
T.
[L. inflecto; in and flecto, to bend.]
1.
To bend; to turn from a direct line or course.
Are not the rays of the sun reflected, refracted and inflected by one and the same principle?
2.
In grammar, to vary a noun or a verb in its terminations; to decline,as a noun or adjective, or to conjugate, as a verb.
3.
To modulate, as the voice.

Definition 2024


inflect

inflect

English

Verb

inflect (third-person singular simple present inflects, present participle inflecting, simple past and past participle inflected)

  1. (transitive) To cause to curve inwards.
  2. (transitive, music) To change the tone or pitch of the voice when speaking or singing.
  3. (transitive, grammar) To vary the form of a word to express tense, gender, number, mood, etc.

Synonyms

  • (to bend or curve inwards): inbend

Translations

Derived terms

See also