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more about bent
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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