INFLECT

tone, inflect, modulate

(verb) vary the pitch of one’s speech

inflect

(verb) change the form of a word in accordance as required by the grammatical rules of the language

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

inflect (third-person singular simple present inflects, present participle inflecting, simple past and past participle inflected)

(transitive) To cause to curve inwards.

(transitive, music) To change the tone or pitch of the voice when speaking or singing.

(transitive, grammar) To vary the form of a word to express tense, gender, number, mood, etc.

(transitive) To influence in style.

Synonyms

• (to bend or curve inwards): inbend

Source: Wiktionary


In*flect", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Inflected; p. pr. & vb. n. Inflecting.] Etym: [L. inflectere, inflexum; pref. in.- in + flectere to bend. See Flexibl, and cf. Inflex.]

1. To turn from a direct line or course; to bend; to incline, to deflect; to curve; to bow. Are they [the rays of the sun] not reflected, refracted, and inflected by one and the same principle Sir I. Newton.

2. (Gram.)

Definition: To vary, as a noun or a verb in its terminations; to decline, as a noun or adjective, or to conjugate, as a verb.

3. To modulate, as the voice.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

20 June 2024

INSIGNIFICANTLY

(adverb) not to a significant degree or amount; “our budget will only be insignificantly affected by these new cuts”


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Coffee Trivia

Espresso is both a coffee beverage and a brewing method that originated in Italy. When making an espresso, a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure forces through finely-ground coffee beans. It has more caffeine per unit volume than most coffee beverages. Its smaller serving size will take three shots to equal a mug of standard brewed coffee.

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