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

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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

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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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