BENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bent mean? 

• BENT (noun)
  The noun BENT has 4 senses:

1. a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way

2. grass for pastures and lawns especially bowling and putting greens

3. an area of grassland unbounded by fences or hedges

4. a special way of doing something

  Familiarity information: BENT used as a noun is uncommon.

• BENT (adjective)
  The adjective BENT has 3 senses:

1. fixed in your purpose

2. used of the back and knees; stooped

3. of metal e.g.

  Familiarity information: BENT used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

bent; set

Context example:

the set of his mind was obvious

Hypernyms ("bent" is a kind of...):

disposition; inclination; tendency (an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Grass for pastures and lawns especially bowling and putting greens

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

bent; bent-grass; bent grass

Hypernyms ("bent" is a kind of...):

grass (narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bent"):

Agrostis canina; brown bent; dog bent; Rhode Island bent; velvet bent; velvet bent grass (common grass with slender stems and narrow leaves)

Agrostis nebulosa; cloud grass (Spanish grass with light feathery panicles grown for dried bouquets)

Agrostis palustris; creeping bent; creeping bentgrass (common pasture or lawn grass spread by long runners)

Holonyms ("bent" is a member of...):

Agrostis; genus Agrostis (annual or perennial grasses cosmopolitan in northern hemisphere: bent grass (so named from 'bent' meaning an area of unfenced grassland))

Sense 3

Meaning:

An area of grassland unbounded by fences or hedges

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("bent" is a kind of...):

grassland (land where grass or grasslike vegetation grows and is the dominant form of plant life)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A special way of doing something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

bent; hang; knack

Context example:

he couldn't get the hang of it

Hypernyms ("bent" is a kind of...):

endowment; gift; natural endowment; talent (natural abilities or qualities)

• BENT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fixed in your purpose

Synonyms:

bent; bent on; dead set; out to

Context example:

out to win every event

Similar:

resolute (firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Used of the back and knees; stooped

Synonyms:

bended; bent

Context example:

with bent (or bended) back

Similar:

unerect (not upright in position or posture)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Of metal e.g.

Synonyms:

bent; crumpled; dented

Context example:

dented fenders

Similar:

damaged (harmed or injured or spoiled)

 Context examples 

Holmes bent over this grotesque frieze for some minutes, and then suddenly sprang to his feet with an exclamation of surprise and dismay.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I ardently desired to understand them, and bent every faculty towards that purpose, but found it utterly impossible.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

His face was always full of expression, but I never saw it express such a dark kind of earnestness as when he said these words, with his glance bent on the fire.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

He was bent upon compelling me to show him the wisdom of pictures. Besides, he had remarkable powers of visualization. I had long since learned this. He visualized everything.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Tim Keenan stepped in and bent over Cherokee, fondling him on both sides of the shoulders with hands that rubbed against the grain of the hair and that made slight, pushing-forward movements.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Then, climbing on the roof, he had with his own hand bent and run up the colours.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

He stepped swiftly forward, seized the poker, and bent it into a curve with his huge brown hands.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I was fascinated by the fascinated look he bent upon Maud.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

We could not see the face, for it was bent down over what we saw to be a fair-haired child.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It has strong, moderately bent, muscular quarters.

(Cocker Spaniel, NCI Thesaurus)