What is "bent"

Bend \Bend\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bended or Bent; p. pr. & vb. n. Bending.] [AS. bendan to bend, fr. bend a band, bond, fr. bindan to bind. See Bind, v. t., and cf. 3d & 4th Bend.]

1. To strain or move out of a straight line; to crook by straining; to make crooked; to curve; to make ready for use by drawing into a curve; as, to bend a bow; to bend the knee.

2. To turn toward some certain point; to direct; to incline. ``Bend thine ear to supplication.''
   --Milton.

   Towards Coventry bend we our course.
   --Shak.

   Bending her eyes . . . upon her parent.
   --Sir W. Scott.

3. To apply closely or with interest; to direct.

   To bend his mind to any public business.
   --Temple.

   But when to mischief mortals bend their will.
   --Pope.

4. To cause to yield; to render submissive; to subdue. ``Except she bend her humor.''
   --Shak.

5. (Naut.) To fasten, as one rope to another, or as a sail to its yard or stay; or as a cable to the ring of an anchor.
   --Totten.

   To bend the brow, to knit the brow, as in deep thought or in anger; to scowl; to frown.
   --Camden.

   Syn: To lean; stoop; deflect; bow; yield.

Bent \Bent\, imp. & p. p. of Bend.

Bent \Bent\, a. & p. p.

1. Changed by pressure so as to be no longer straight; crooked; as, a bent pin; a bent lever.

2. Strongly inclined toward something, so as to be resolved, determined, set, etc.; -- said of the mind, character, disposition, desires, etc., and used with on; as, to be bent on going to college; he is bent on mischief.

Bent \Bent\, n. [See Bend, n. & v.]

1. The state of being curved, crooked, or inclined from a straight line; flexure; curvity; as, the bent of a bow. [Obs.]
   --Wilkins.

2. A declivity or slope, as of a hill. [R.]
   --Dryden.

3. A leaning or bias; proclivity; tendency of mind; inclination; disposition; purpose; aim.
   --Shak.

   With a native bent did good pursue.
   --Dryden.

4. Particular direction or tendency; flexion; course.

   Bents and turns of the matter.
   --Locke.

5. (Carp.) A transverse frame of a framed structure.

6. Tension; force of acting; energy; impetus. [Archaic]

   The full bent and stress of the soul.
   --Norris.

   Syn: Predilection; turn.

   Usage: Bent, Bias, Inclination, Prepossession. These words agree in describing a permanent influence upon the mind which tends to decide its actions. Bent denotes a fixed tendency of the mind in a given direction. It is the widest of these terms, and applies to the will, the intellect, and the affections, taken conjointly; as, the whole bent of his character was toward evil practices. Bias is literally a weight fixed on one side of a ball used in bowling, and causing it to swerve from a straight course. Used figuratively, bias applies particularly to the judgment, and denotes something which acts with a permanent force on the character through that faculty; as, the bias of early education, early habits, etc. Inclination is an excited state of desire or appetency; as, a strong inclination to the study of the law. Prepossession is a mingled state of feeling and opinion in respect to some person or subject, which has laid hold of and occupied the mind previous to inquiry. The word is commonly used in a good sense, an unfavorable impression of this kind being denominated a prejudice. ``Strong minds will be strongly bent, and usually labor under a strong bias; but there is no mind so weak and powerless as not to have its inclinations, and none so guarded as to be without its prepossessions.''
   --Crabb.

Bent \Bent\, n. [AS. beonet; akin to OHG. pinuz, G. binse, rush, bent grass; of unknown origin.]

1. A reedlike grass; a stalk of stiff, coarse grass.

   His spear a bent, both stiff and strong.
   --Drayton.

2. (Bot.) A grass of the genus Agrostis, esp. Agrostis vulgaris, or redtop. The name is also used of many other grasses, esp. in America.

3. Any neglected field or broken ground; a common; a moor. [Obs.]
   --Wright.

   Bowmen bickered upon the bent.
   --Chevy Chase.

"mental inclination," 1570s, probably from earlier literal sense "condition of being deflected or turned" (1530s), from bent (adj.) "not straight" (q.v.).

"stiff grass," Old English beonet, from West Germanic *binut- "rush, marsh grass" (cognates: Old Saxon binet, Old High German binuz, German Binse "rush, reed"), which is of unknown origin. An obsolete word, but surviving in place names (such as Bentley, from Old English Beonet-leah; Bentham).\n\nThe verdure of the plain lies buried deep\n
Beneath the dazzling deluge; and the bents,\n
And coarser grass, upspearing o'er the rest,\n
Of late unsightly and unseen, now shine\n
Conspicuous, and, in bright apparel clad\n
And fledg'd with icy feathers, nod superb.\n

\n

[Cowper, "The Winter-Morning Walk," from "The Task"]

"not straight," late 14c. (earlier ibent, c.1300, from past participle of bend (v.). Meaning "turned or inclined in some direction" is from 1530s, probably as a translation of Latin inclinatio. Meaning "directed in a course" is from 1690s. Figurative phrase bent out of shape "extremely upset" is 1960s U.S. Air Force and college student slang.

Etymology 1

1. 1 (context Of something that is usually straight English) folded, dented 2 (context derogatory colloquial chiefly UK English) homosexual. 3 determined or insistent. 4 Of a person, leading a life of crime. 5 (context slang football English) inaccurate at shooting 6 (context colloquial chiefly US English) Suffering from the bends 7 (context slang English) high from using both Cannabis and alcohol. n. 1 An inclination or talent. 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. 4 A declivity or slope, as of a hill. 5 Particular direction or tendency; flexion; course. 6 (context carpentry English) A transverse frame of a framed structure. 7 Tension; force of acting; energy; impetus. v

2. (en-past of: bend) Etymology 2

   n. 1 Any of various stiff or reedy grasses. 2 A grassy area, grassland.

1. n. a circular segment of a curve; "a bend in the road"; "a crook in the path" [syn: crook, turn]

2. movement that causes the formation of a curve [syn: bending]

3. curved segment (of a road or river or railroad track etc.) [syn: curve]

4. an angular or rounded shape made by folding; "a fold in the napkin"; "a crease in his trousers"; "a plication on her blouse"; "a flexure of the colon"; "a bend of his elbow" [syn: fold, crease, plication, flexure, crimp]

5. a town in central Oregon at the eastern foot of the Cascade Range

6. diagonal line traversing a shield from the upper right corner to the lower left [syn: bend dexter]

7. [also: bent]

1. v. form a curve; "The stick does not bend" [syn: flex] [ant: straighten]

2. change direction; "The road bends"

3. cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form; "bend the rod"; "twist the dough into a braid"; "the strong man could turn an iron bar" [syn: flex, deform, twist, turn] [ant: unbend]

4. bend one's back forward from the waist on down; "he crouched down"; "She bowed before the Queen"; "The young man stooped to pick up the girl's purse" [syn: crouch, stoop, bow]

5. turn from a straight course , fixed direction, or line of interest [syn: deflect, turn away]

6. bend a joint; "flex your wrists"; "bend your knees" [syn: flex]

7. [also: bent]

1. adj. altered from an originally straight condition; "a bent wire"

2. fixed in your purpose; "bent on going to the theater"; "dead set against intervening"; "out to win every event" [syn: bent on(p), dead set(p), intent on(p), out to(p)]

3. used of the back and knees; stooped; "on bended knee"; "with bent (or bended) back" [syn: bended]

4. used especially of the head or upper back; "a bent head and sloping shoulders" [syn: bowed, inclined]

5. of metal e.g.; "bent nails"; "a car with a crumpled front end"; "dented fenders" [syn: crumpled, dented]

1. n. a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way; "the set of his mind was obvious" [syn: set]

2. grass for pastures and lawns especially bowling and putting greens [syn: bent grass, bent-grass]

3. a special way of doing something; "he had a bent for it"; "he had a special knack for getting into trouble"; "he couldn't get the hang of it" [syn: knack, hang]

See bend

Bent may refer to:

"Bent" is a song by American alternative rock group Matchbox Twenty. It was released in July 2000 as the lead single from their second album, Mad Season. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 22, 2000, and stayed there for one week before being unseated by 'N Sync's " It's Gonna Be Me". It remains the band's only number one hit on that chart.

Bent is a free magazine that targets gay men and is distributed to 400 gay bars, clubs and saunas around the United Kingdom. Published monthly by All Points North UK in Leeds, it largely focuses on entertainment, celebrities, film, DVD and music as well as television, comedy and scene news.

Bent is a 1997 British/Japanese drama film directed by Sean Mathias, based on the 1979 play of the same name by Martin Sherman, who also wrote the screenplay. It revolves around the persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany after the murder of SA leader Ernst Röhm on the Night of the Long Knives.

Bent is an American romantic comedy television series that ran on NBC from March 21 to April 4, 2012. The series was created by Tad Quill and stars Amanda Peet as a recently divorced lawyer and David Walton as the irresponsible general contractor hired to remodel her kitchen. Supporting roles are played by Jeffrey Tambor, Margo Harshman, Pasha D. Lychnikoff and Joey King. On May 11, 2012, NBC cancelled the sitcom.

Bent is a 1979 play by Martin Sherman. It revolves around the persecution of gays in Nazi Germany, and takes place during and after the Night of the Long Knives.

The title of the play refers to the slang word "bent" used in some European countries to refer to homosexuals. When the play was first performed, there was only a trickle of historical research or even awareness about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals. In some regards, the play helped increase that historical research and education in the 1980s and 1990s.

The play starred Ian McKellen in its original 1979 West End production, and Richard Gere in its original 1980 Broadway production. In 1989, Sean Mathias directed a revival of the play, performed as a one-night benefit for Stonewall, featuring Ian McKellen, Richard E Grant, Ian Charleson, and Ralph Fiennes. After receiving critical acclaim, Mathias directed a full run in 1990, with Ian McKellen, Paul Rhys, and Christopher Eccleston, which won the City Limits Award for Revival of the Year.

In 1997, Martin Sherman adapted Bent into a film of the same name, which was directed by Sean Mathias.

Bent are an electronica act from Nottingham in England, consisting of Neil "Nail" Tolliday and Simon Mills. They gained critical acclaim from their debut album Programmed to Love in 2000.

The duo were initially noted for their ability to create their own mischievous style of recordings by sampling their private record collections (which they have themselves referred to as "dodgy"). On the 2003 single "Magic Love" they sampled a Toni Tennille performance. Nana Mouskouri is one of the artists they have sampled the most so far. Another notably sampled artist is the Canadian singer Anne Murray, whose song "Just Bidin' My Time" is heavily used for the lyrics of "Leavin' Me".

With the release of 2004's Ariels, Bent took a sharp turn into live-based recording using predominantly original material. 2006's Intercept! saw the duo taking a step back into the style reminiscent of the first two albums, although adding a more discoesque touch. Their prankster-ish reputation is reprised with the track "Stay Out All Night", in which the sole lyric (repeated twice) is "People who are afraid of the dark send their children to bed and stay out all night".

Following the relative hiatus of the band (a "Best of" in 2009 was followed 4 years later by a double CD featuring previously unreleased tracks), both Nail and Simon Mills have maintained a musical activity of their own, Simon Mills heading a solo project called Napoleon, with a self-titled first album digitally released in 2011, very similar to early Bent in its delicate blending of soft electronic music and vintage samplings. A second album, "Magpies", also close to the Bent sound, followed in 2013, and 2014 saw for Napoleon the release of twelve EPs, at the beginning of each month.

Bent is a surname common in English speaking countries. It may refer to:

• Amel Bent (born 1985), French singer
• Arthur Cleveland Bent (1866–1954), American ornithologist
• Bruce R. Bent, American financier
• Charles Bent (1799–1847), first American Governor of the New Mexico Territory
• Charles Bent (1919–2004), composer of chess endgame studies
• Darren Bent (born 1984), English football (soccer) player
• Ellis Bent (1783–1815), Deputy Judge Advocate for New South Wales, Australia
• Geoff Bent (1932–1958), English football (soccer) player
• George Bent (1843–1918), a son of William Bent, he was an American Civil War soldier, a Cheyenne warrior, and an important source for anthropologists
• James Theodore Bent (1852–1897), English explorer and archaeologist
• Jason Bent (born 1977), Canadian football (soccer) player
• Jeffery Hart Bent (1781–1852), first judge of the colony of New South Wales, Australia
• John Bent (disambiguation), multiple people
• Junior Bent (born 1970), English football (soccer) player
• Kimball Bent (1837–1916), American soldier and adventurer
• Lyriq Bent, Canadian actor
• Marcus Bent (born 1978), English football (soccer) player
• Margaret Bent (born 1940), English musicologist
• Paul Bent (born 1965), former English cricketer
• Philip Bent (1891–1917), Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Ridley Bent (born 1979), Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter
• Silas Bent (1768–1827), judge on the bench of the Missouri Supreme Court and direct ancestor of several notable U.S. Bents
• Silas Bent (1820–1887), U.S. Navy officer
• Silas Bent (1852–1945), American journalist
• Spencer John Bent (1891–1977), English Victoria Cross recipient
• Thomas Bent (1838–1909), Australian politician, 22nd Premier of Victoria
• William Bent (1809–1869), American trapper, rancher and frontier diplomat

A bent in American English is a framework composed of several structural members that defines the cross-section of a timber frame building or supports a trestle. In British English this assembly is called a "cross frame". The term bent is probably an archaic past tense of the verb to bind, referring to the way the timbers of a bent are joined together. The Dutch word is bint (past participle gebint), the Frisian is bynt, and the German is bind. Compare this with the term bend for a class of knots.

Bents are the building blocks that define the overall shape and character of a structure. They do not have any sort of pre-defined configuration in the way that a Pratt truss does. Rather, bents are simply cross-sectional templates of structural members, i.e., rafters, joists, posts, pilings, etc., that repeat on parallel planes along the length of the structure. The term bent is not restricted to any particular material. Bents may be formed of wooden piles, timber framing, steel framing, or even concrete.