Definition of "bent"

bent¹

/bɛnt/

verb
1. simple past and past participle of bend
adjective
comparative benter or more bent, superlative bentest or most bent
1. (Of something that is usually straight) Folded, dented.
2. (colloquial, chiefly UK) Corrupt, dishonest.
3. (derogatory, colloquial, chiefly UK) Homosexual.
  Quotations
  Asked bluntly by Julie Webb of the NME whether he was “bent” in December 1974, Freddie answered evasively: “You're a crafty cow. […] ”
  2019 January 22, Joe Sommerlad, “The reasons why Bohemian Rhapsody faced such a massive backlash”, in The Independent‎
4. Determined or insistent.
  Quotations
  […] in the ape posse, bent on vengeance, traversing landscapes clothed in snow and bristling with California red fir and silver pine, spooking human stragglers, and running across fresh graves as they search for the nameless colonel and try to piece together why the humans are killing each other.
  2017 July 7, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, “The ambitious War For The Planet Of The Apes ends up surrendering to formula”, in The Onion AV Club‎
5. (Of a person) leading a life of crime.
6. (slang, soccer) Inaccurately aimed.
7. (colloquial, chiefly US) Suffering from the bends.
8. (slang) High from both marijuana and alcohol.
noun
plural bents
1. An inclination or talent.
  Quotations
  They fool me to the top of my bent.
  c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene ii], page 384
2. A predisposition to act or react in a particular way.
3. The state of being curved, crooked, or inclined from a straight line; flexure; curvity.
  Quotations
  the force they have in the discharge , according to several bents
  1648, John Wilkins, Mathematical Magick
4. A declivity or slope, as of a hill.
  Quotations
  Beneath the lowering brow, and on a bent, / The temple stood of Mars armipotent
  1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […]
5. Particular direction or tendency; flexion; course.
  Quotations
  bents and turns of the matter
  a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706
6. (carpentry) A transverse frame of a framed structure; a subunit of framing.
  1. Such a subunit as a component of a barn's framing, joined to other bents by girts and summer beams.
  2. Such a subunit as a reinforcement to, or integral part of, a bridge's framing.
7. Tension; force of acting; energy; impetus.
  Quotations
  the full bent and stress of the soul
  1707, John Norris, Practical Discourses Upon the Beatitudes of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

bent²

/bɛnt/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural bents
1. Any of various stiff or reedy grasses.
  Quotations
  His spear a bent, both stiff and strong.
  1627, Michael Drayton, Nymphidia, published 1810, page 124
  Gunga Dass gave me a double handful of dried bents which I thrust down the mouth of the lair to the right of his, and followed myself, feet foremost [...].
  1888, Rudyard Kipling, “The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes”, in The Phantom ’Rickshaw and Other Tales, Folio Society, published 2005, page 121
  Clusters of strong flowers rose everywhere above the coarse tussocks of bent.
  1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “chapter 9”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […]
2. A grassy area, grassland.
  Quotations
  Bowmen bickered upon the bent.
  c. 1500, The Ballad of Chevy Chase
3. The old dried stalks of grasses.

Definition of "bent"

bent1

verb

adjective

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bent2

noun

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bent¹

bent²