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bent

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bent


  7  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Bent  \Bent\,  a.  &  p.  p. 
  1.  Changed  by  pressure  so  as  to  be  no  longer  straight; 
  crooked;  as  a  bent  pin;  a  bent  lever. 
 
  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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Bent  \Bent\, 
  imp.  &  p.  p.  of  {Bend}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  2.  A  declivity  or  slope,  as  of  a  hill.  [R.]  --Dryden. 
 
  3.  A  leaning  or  bias;  proclivity;  tendency  of  mind; 
  inclination;  disposition;  purpose;  aim  --Shak. 
 
  With  a  native  bent  did  good  pursue.  --Dryden. 
 
  4.  Particular  direction  or  tendency;  flexion;  course. 
 
  Bents  and  turns  of  the  matter.  --Locke. 
 
  5.  (Carp.)  A  transverse  frame  of  a  framed  structure. 
 
  6.  Tension;  force  of  acting;  energy;  impetus.  [Archaic] 
 
  The  full  bent  and  stress  of  the  soul.  --Norris. 
 
  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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  His  spear  a  bent,  both  stiff  and  strong.  --Drayton. 
 
  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. 
 
  3.  Any  neglected  field  or  broken  ground;  a  common;  a  moor. 
  [Obs.]  --Wright. 
 
  Bowmen  bickered  upon  the  bent.  --Chevy  Chase. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  2.  To  turn  toward  some  certain  point;  to  direct;  to  incline. 
  ``Bend  thine  ear  to  supplication.''  --Milton. 
 
  Towards  Coventry  bend  we  our  course.  --Shak. 
 
  Bending  her  eyes  .  .  .  upon  her  parent.  --Sir  W. 
  Scott. 
 
  3.  To  apply  closely  or  with  interest;  to  direct. 
 
  To  bend  his  mind  to  any  public  business.  --Temple. 
 
  But  when  to  mischief  mortals  bend  their  will 
  --Pope. 
 
  4.  To  cause  to  yield;  to  render  submissive;  to  subdue. 
  ``Except  she  bend  her  humor.''  --Shak. 
 
  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. 
 
  {To  bend  the  brow},  to  knit  the  brow,  as  in  deep  thought  or 
  in  anger;  to  scowl;  to  frown.  --Camden. 
 
  Syn:  To  lean;  stoop;  deflect;  bow;  yield. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  bent 
  adj  1:  altered  from  an  originally  straight  condition;  "a  bent  wire" 
  2:  fixed  in  your  purpose;  "bent  on  going  to  the  theater";  "dead 
  set  against  intervening";  "out  to  win  every  event"  [syn:  {bent 
  on(p)},  {dead  set(p)},  {intent  on(p)},  {out  to(p)}] 
  3:  used  of  the  back  and  knees;  stooped;  "on  bended  knee";  "with 
  bent  (or  bended)  back"  [syn:  {bended}] 
  4:  used  especially  of  the  head  or  upper  back  "a  bent  head  and 
  sloping  shoulders"  [syn:  {bowed},  {inclined}] 
  5:  of  metal  e.g.;  "bent  nails";  "a  car  with  a  crumpled  front 
  end";  "dented  fenders"  [syn:  {crumpled},  {dented}] 
  n  1:  a  relatively  permanent  inclination  to  react  in  a  particular 
  way  "the  set  of  his  mind  was  obvious"  [syn:  {set}] 
  2:  grass  for  pastures  and  lawns  especially  bowling  and  putting 
  greens  [syn:  {bent  grass},  {bentgrass}] 
  3:  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:  {knack},  {hang}] 
 
  From  U.S.  Gazetteer  (1990)  [gazetteer]: 
 
  Bent,  NM 
  Zip  code(s):  88314 




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