Result from Foreign Dictionaries (6 entries found)

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Bend \Bend\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bended} or {Bent}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bending}.] [AS. bendan to bend, fr. bend a band, bond, fr. bindan to bind. See {Bind}, v. t., and cf. 3d & 4th {Bend}.] 1. To strain or move out of a straight line; to crook by straining; to make crooked; to curve; to make ready for use by drawing into a curve; as, to bend a bow; to bend the knee. [1913 Webster] 2. To turn toward some certain point; to direct; to incline. "Bend thine ear to supplication." --Milton. [1913 Webster] Towards Coventry bend we our course. --Shak. [1913 Webster] Bending her eyes . . . upon her parent. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster] 3. To apply closely or with interest; to direct. [1913 Webster] To bend his mind to any public business. --Temple. [1913 Webster] But when to mischief mortals bend their will. --Pope. [1913 Webster] 4. To cause to yield; to render submissive; to subdue. "Except she bend her humor." --Shak. [1913 Webster] 5. (Naut.) To fasten, as one rope to another, or as a sail to its yard or stay; or as a cable to the ring of an anchor. --Totten. [1913 Webster] {To bend the brow}, to knit the brow, as in deep thought or in anger; to scowl; to frown. --Camden. [1913 Webster] Syn: To lean; stoop; deflect; bow; yield. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Bent \Bent\, imp. & p. p. of {Bend}. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Bent \Bent\, a. & p. p. 1. Changed by pressure so as to be no longer straight; crooked; as, a bent pin; a bent lever. [1913 Webster] 2. Strongly inclined toward something, so as to be resolved, determined, set, etc.; -- said of the mind, character, disposition, desires, etc., and used with on; as, to be bent on going to college; he is bent on mischief. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Bent \Bent\, n. [See {Bend}, n. & v.] 1. The state of being curved, crooked, or inclined from a straight line; flexure; curvity; as, the bent of a bow. [Obs.] --Wilkins. [1913 Webster] 2. A declivity or slope, as of a hill. [R.] --Dryden. [1913 Webster] 3. A leaning or bias; proclivity; tendency of mind; inclination; disposition; purpose; aim. --Shak. [1913 Webster] With a native bent did good pursue. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] 4. Particular direction or tendency; flexion; course. [1913 Webster] Bents and turns of the matter. --Locke. [1913 Webster] 5. (Carp.) A transverse frame of a framed structure. [1913 Webster] 6. Tension; force of acting; energy; impetus. [Archaic] [1913 Webster] The full bent and stress of the soul. --Norris. [1913 Webster] Syn: Predilection; turn. Usage: {Bent}, {Bias}, {Inclination}, {Prepossession}. These words agree in describing a permanent influence upon the mind which tends to decide its actions. Bent denotes a fixed tendency of the mind in a given direction. It is the widest of these terms, and applies to the will, the intellect, and the affections, taken conjointly; as, the whole bent of his character was toward evil practices. Bias is literally a weight fixed on one side of a ball used in bowling, and causing it to swerve from a straight course. Used figuratively, bias applies particularly to the judgment, and denotes something which acts with a permanent force on the character through that faculty; as, the bias of early education, early habits, etc. Inclination is an excited state of desire or appetency; as, a strong inclination to the study of the law. Prepossession is a mingled state of feeling and opinion in respect to some person or subject, which has laid hold of and occupied the mind previous to inquiry. The word is commonly used in a good sense, an unfavorable impression of this kind being denominated a prejudice. "Strong minds will be strongly bent, and usually labor under a strong bias; but there is no mind so weak and powerless as not to have its inclinations, and none so guarded as to be without its prepossessions." --Crabb. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Bent \Bent\, n. [AS. beonet; akin to OHG. pinuz, G. binse, rush, bent grass; of unknown origin.] 1. A reedlike grass; a stalk of stiff, coarse grass. [1913 Webster] His spear a bent, both stiff and strong. --Drayton. [1913 Webster] 2. (Bot.) A grass of the genus {Agrostis}, esp. {Agrostis vulgaris}, or redtop. The name is also used of many other grasses, esp. in America. [1913 Webster] 3. Any neglected field or broken ground; a common; a moor. [Obs.] --Wright. [1913 Webster] Bowmen bickered upon the bent. --Chevy Chase. [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: bent adj 1: fixed in your purpose; "bent on going to the theater"; "dead set against intervening"; "out to win every event" [syn: {bent}, {bent on(p)}, {dead set(p)}, {out to(p)}] 2: used of the back and knees; stooped; "on bended knee"; "with bent (or bended) back" [syn: {bended}, {bent}] 3: of metal e.g.; "bent nails"; "a car with a crumpled front end"; "dented fenders" [syn: {bent}, {crumpled}, {dented}] n 1: a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way; "the set of his mind was obvious" [syn: {bent}, {set}] 2: grass for pastures and lawns especially bowling and putting greens [syn: {bent}, {bent grass}, {bent-grass}] 3: an area of grassland unbounded by fences or hedges 4: a special way of doing something; "he had a bent for it"; "he had a special knack for getting into trouble"; "he couldn't get the hang of it" [syn: {bent}, {knack}, {hang}]