See Also: Decline(medicine)
decline(1)(dictionary)
decline(2)(dictionary)
decline 1, noun(dictionary)
decline 2, verb(dictionary)
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, The(dictionary)

decline(2) (iou)



decline verb. LME.
[Old & mod. French decliner from Latin declinare, from de- DE- 1 + clinare to bend.]
I. verb intrans.
Turn aside; deviate; turn away. LME-M19.
Have astronomical or magnetic declination. LME-E18.
fig. Turn aside in conduct; fall away from rectitude, duty, etc. LME-M18.
Bible (AV): Psalms 119:157 Yet doe I not decline from thy testimonies.
fig. Lean or incline to. LME-L17.
P. Holland That purple luster..declineth..to the color of wine.
Slope downwards. LME.
E. J. Howard The sloping lawn declined from the house.
Bend down, bow down, droop. LME.
T. Hardy Declining from his sitting position.
Descend. rare. LME-E17.
Of the sun etc.: descend towards setting. Of the day, one's life, etc.: draw towards its close. LME.
R. Woodhouse As the Moon, having passed the meridian, declines.
Fall off in vigour or vitality; decay, diminish; deteriorate. LME.
declining years old age.
R. L. Stevenson England has already declined, since she has lost the States. J. Conrad His voice declined to a mere sleepy murmur. H. A. L. Fisher The government which began in a blaze of glory steadily declined in strength.
Fall morally or in dignity. Now only literary (after Shakes.). LME.
Shakespeare Hamlet What a falling off was there, from me..to decline Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor To those of mine.
(Politely) refuse an invitation, offer, request, etc. (Cf. sense 13b below.) L19.
Joyce She pressed me to take some cream crackers..but I declined.
II. verb trans.
Avert; deflect, turn aside (from, to). LME-M18.
S. Johnson To decline the pressure of resistless arguments.
a. Turn aside from; avoid, shun. LME-M18.
b. Turn away from out of unwillingness; not consent to engage in or practise, not agree to doing; refuse, esp. politely (an invitation, request, offer, etc., or to do). M17.
decline with thanks refuse graciously; iron. reject scornfully.
T. Jefferson I decline all newspaper controversy. Carlyle I declined satisfying his curiosity. A. Carnegie He declined an interest in the firm which would have made him a millionaire. P. G. Wodehouse I decline to give in to this absurd suggestion. A. Guinness She..offered me a glass of sherry, which I declined.
c. Give up (a practice). Long rare. L17.
d. Chess. Refuse to take a piece or pawn offered in (a gambit). M19.
Scots Law. Refuse or formally object to the jurisdiction of (a judge or court). LME.
Grammar. Inflect (a noun, adjective, or pronoun) through any different cases, numbers, or genders; recite the cases etc. of in order; loosely conjugate. LME.
b. Recite formally or in a definite order. L16-E17.
Bend down, bow down. LME.
Southey He sate with folded arms and head declined Upon his breast.
Lower, degrade. LME-L18.
Undervalue, disparage. E16-M17.
Cause to slope downwards, incline. L16.
decliner noun a person who or thing which declines E17.