Also 6 bente. [f. BEND v.; probably on analogy of words from L. or Fr.: cf. descend, descent, extend, extent; F. pendre, pente, rendre, rente. There appears to be no sufficient analogy for its formation from the past pple.]
1. A curved position or form; curvature, bending degree of curvature. Also fig. (Now rare.)
1541. Elyot, Image Govt. (1549), 100. For the Theatre was a place made in the fourme of a bowe, that hath a great bente.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, II. v. 49. I find the Bend drawne somewhat Archwise or after the resemblance of the Bent of a Bow.
1755. Borlase, in Phil. Trans., XLIX. 375. I attribute it to … the bent of the western land.
1860. Heads & Hats, 20. With trifling modification of brim and bent and height of crown, we retain the thing [hat] in all its offensive characteristics!
† 2. A curved part, a bend, a crook. Obs.
1572. Mascal, Govt. Cattle (1627), 271. Hard vnto the bent of the staple.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 313. Overthwart the bent of the [horse’s] knee.
1653. Walton, Angler, 111. Make these fast at the bent of the hook.
† 3. A piece bent into a curve; a bow. Obs.
1521. Will Pylbarowgh (Somerset Ho.). Gown whiche I ware every daye with a bent of velvett to the skyrte.
1588. W. Averell, Combat Contrar., B. Their bents of Whale bone to beare out their bummes.
1607. Middleton, Michaelm. Term, I. ii. Wires and tires, bents and bums, felts and falls.
1677. Plot, Oxfordsh., 84. Clay thus pretily dispersed in the form of a bent.
† 4. Flexure, bending, crooking. Obs.
1567. Triall Treas. (1850). It is I that doe guyde the bent of your bowe.
1590. Greene, Arcad. (1616), 57. With reuerence and lowly bent of knee.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, To Rdr. § 2. Rather then she will come to the bent of Gods bow.
† 5. Inclination, bowing, stooping, nodding. Obs.
1584. T. Lodge, Forb. & Prisc., 22 b. With … a seemely bent, as requiting his curtesie.
1596. Chapman, Iliad, II. 95. To vow, and bind it with the bent Of his high forehead.
1713. C’tess Winchilsea, Misc. Poems, 231. In vain the shrubs, with lowly bent, Sought their Destruction to prevent.
6. The condition of being deflected, inclined, or turned in some direction; a turn, twist, inclination; direction given by bending; cast (of the eye), etc. Usually fig.
1534. More, Comf. agst. Trib., II. Wks. 1206/1. For a little coumfort, is bent ynough therto for them.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. (1611), 225 (J.). The wilfull bent of their obstinate harts against it.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., II. i. 210. I can giue his humour the true bent. Ibid. (1611), Cymb., I. i. 13. They weare their faces to the bent Of the Kings lookes.
1664. J. Nalton, in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. lxxvii. 10. The bent of it [a magnet] will be toward the North Pole.
1693. Dryden, Persius, V. 53 (J.).
| My Reason took the bent of thy Command, | |
| Was form’d and polish’d by thy skilful hand. |
c. 1698. Locke, Cond. Underst. (1741), 48 (J.). The exercising the Understanding … teaches the Mind … a suppleness, to apply it self more closely and dexterously to Bents and Turns of the Matter in all its re-searches.
1713. Steele, Guardian, No. 15, ¶ 1. To cross the bent of a young lady’s genius.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., I. 328. To follow the bent of her own taste.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), II. 281. To counteract wholly the bent of natural character.
b. esp. Mental inclination or tendency; disposition; propensity, bias. The usual modern sense.
1586. J. Hooker, Girald. Irel., in Holinsh., II. 155/1. He saw the bent and disposition of the earle.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. iv. § 2. The whole inclination and bent of those times.
1692. South, 12 Serm. (1697), I. 429. Bents, and Propensities, and Inclinations, will not do the Business.
1762. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), III. 83. He knew he did not like to be a carpenter, but had not discovered his own bent.
1840. Arnold, in Life & Corr. (1844), II. ix. 200. If your bent seems to be to the work of a Missionary.
c. † Phrase. To bring any one to, or have him at, one’s bent. Obs.
1575. Turberv., Venerie, 136. Such toyles and toyes as hunters use to bring me to their bents.
1658. Bramhall, Consecr. Bps., iii. 59. That by this meanes they should … bring the Queene to their bent.
1660. Bonde, Scut. Reg., 286. They would have had the King buckled to their bent.
d. Tendency of motion, course, ‘set’ of a current.
1648. Milton, Tenure Kings, 39. The whole bent of their actions was against the King.
1817. Wordsw., Lament Mary Q. Scots. A sister Queen, against the bent Of law and holiest sympathy, Detains me.
1855. M. Arnold, Sonn. Cruikshank. Man can control To pain, to death, the bent of his own days.
† 7. That towards which an action, etc., is directed; aim, purpose, intention. Obs.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Ded. For, not marking the compasse of his bent, he will iudge of the length of his cast.
1594. Carew, Huarte’s Exam. Wits, x. (1596), 141. The Oratour … it behooueth … to vse rules … to the end the hearers may not smell out his fetch and bent.
1798. Malthus, Popul. (1817), III. 297. The principal bent of this work.
† 8. Force with which a bow bent or a spring wound up tends to spring back; hence, impetus, concentrated energy: F. élan. Obs.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 454. He rusheth upon Haddon with all the bent of his Eloquence.
1690. Norris, Beatitudes, I. 107. Such a Desire as carries in it the full bent and stress of the Soul.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., VIII. 796. False joys, indeed, are born from want of thought; From thought’s full bent, and energy, the true.
9. Extent to which a bow may be bent or a spring wound up, degree of tension; hence degree of endurance, capacity for taking in or receiving; limit of capacity, etc. Now only in the Shakespearian phrase: To the top of one’s bent, or the like.
1594. Drayton, Idea, 596. Beyond the bent of his unknowing Sight.
1602. Shaks., Ham., III. ii. 401. They foole me to the top of my bent.
1641. Milton, Reform., I. Wks. (1851), 1. Suffering to the lowest bent of weaknesse in the Flesh, and presently triumphing to the highest pitch of glory in the Spirit.
1871. Smiles, Charac., vi. (1876), 178. He flattered French vanity to the top of its bent.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), II. 238. When you have allowed me to add μηχανὴ (contrivance) to τέχνη (art) I shall be at the top of my bent.
10. Technical uses, of various origin.
1674. Cotton, in Singer, Hist. Cards, 343. First, for cutting be sure of a good putt-card, they use the bent, the slick, and the breef; the bent is a card bended in play which you cut.
1824. T. Hogg, Carnation, 23. Veins of rust or oxyde of iron … in soil … [are] called by farmers, till or fox bent.
1881. Greener, Gun, 245. A very old smooth file, worn almost to a burnisher, is used to finish the bents and bearings of the lock. Ibid., 263. The sear may then be lifted off, if the tumbler is not in bent.
¶ Bent of a hill occurs too early to belong to this word, but it was perhaps afterwards confused with it. See BENT sb.1 6.
