See Also: incline(medicine)
incline(1)(dictionary)
incline(2)(dictionary)
incline 1, verb(dictionary)
incline 2, noun(dictionary)

incline(2) (iou)



incline verb. Also encline. ME.
[Old French encliner from Latin inclinare, formed as IN-2 + clinare bend.]
I. verb trans.
Bend or bow (the head, the body, oneself) towards a thing, or forward and downward. ME.
incline one's ear listen favourably (to).
P. Lively The young man inclines his head graciously.
fig. Cause to obey or be subject to a person or thing; subject. LME-L15.
Bend (the mind, the will, etc.) towards a course of action; make willing or favourably disposed (to do, to a thing). LME.
J. Wesley To hear them speak..might incline one to think they were not far from the kingdom of God. Burke I hope..your good-nature will incline you to some degree of indulgence towards human frailty. Janet Morgan It is easy to understand why she started to write; character, skills and circumstance all inclined her in that direction.
b. Desire. M18.
Direct (something immaterial) towards a particular object; apply, bestow. M16-E17.
Cause to depart from a given direction, esp. the vertical or horizontal; bend, slope, tilt. L16.
A. R. Ammons The wind inclines the cedars.
II. verb intrans.
Bend the head or body forward, esp. in a bow. Now rare. ME.
b. fig. Submit, yield, (to); accede (to). LME.
Have a mental leaning towards; be predisposed or have an inclination to or to do; turn in mind or feeling in a given direction; take sides with a particular party, cause, etc. ME.
D. H. Lawrence If she inclined towards self-indulgence in any direction, it was in the direction of food. J. Hilton When it comes to believing things without actual evidence, we all incline to what we find most attractive. V. Woolf She would not push her way. She inclined to be passive. H. J. Laski The upper house of Convocation..naturally inclined to his side.
Have or take a direction or position which departs from a given direction, esp. from the vertical or horizontal; slope, slant; have or take an oblique position; deviate. E16.
T. Hardy The clock slowly inclined forward and fell. M. Lowry His steps teetered to the left, he could not make them incline to the right.
b. Military. Move in a direction at angles with the front of the formation in order to gain ground to the flank whilst advancing. L18.
Tend, esp. towards a specified quality or condition; have an attribute in an incipient degree. Foll. by to, towards. M16.
Gibbon Victory inclined to the side of the allies. T. Bewick The top of the head..dark brown, inclining to black. C. Beaton She was..short.., inclining towards the petite and the plump.
inclining noun (a) the action of the verb; the state of being inclined; (b) arch. a following, a party: LME.