Inflection

Inflection
Inflection In*flec"tion, n. [L. inflexio : cf. F. inflexion. See {Inflect}.] [Written also {inflecxion}.] 1. The act of inflecting, or the state of being inflected. [1913 Webster]

2. A bend; a fold; a curve; a turn; a twist. [1913 Webster]

3. A slide, modulation, or accent of the voice; as, the rising and the falling inflection. [1913 Webster]

4. (Gram.) The variation or change which words undergo to mark case, gender, number, comparison, tense, person, mood, voice, etc. [1913 Webster]

5. (Mus.) (a) Any change or modification in the pitch or tone of the voice. (b) A departure from the monotone, or reciting note, in chanting. [1913 Webster]

6. (Opt.) Same as {Diffraction}. [1913 Webster]

{Point of inflection} (Geom.), the point on opposite sides of which a curve bends in contrary ways. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Synonyms:
, , , , , / (in declension or in conjugation), , , / (of the voice)


Look at other dictionaries:

  • inflection — 1. Inflection is the process by which words change their form by the addition of suffixes or other means in accordance with their grammatical role. Inflection of nouns usually involves the addition of s or es to form plurals (book / books, church …   Modern English usage

  • inflection — inflection, intonation, accent are comparable when they designate a particular manner of employing the tones of the voice in speech. Inflection implies change in pitch or tone; it often suggests a variation expressive of emotion or sentiment, and …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • inflection — early 15c., from M.Fr. inflexion and directly from L. inflexionem (nom. inflexio) a bending, inflection, modification, noun of action from pp. stem of inflectere (see INFLECT (Cf. inflect)). For spelling, see CONNECTION (Cf. connection).… …   Etymology dictionary

  • inflection — [in flek′shən] n. [L inflexio < inflexus, pp. of inflectere: see INFLECT] 1. a turning, bending, or curving 2. a turn, bend, or curve 3. any change in tone or pitch of the voice; modulation [to signal a question by a rising inflection] 4. a… …   English World dictionary

  • inflection — I noun accent, accentuation, cadence, emphasis, expression, intonation, modulation, pitch, stress, tone, voice change associated concepts: demeanor of a witness, polygraph test II index intonation, stress (accent) …   Law dictionary

  • inflection — inflection, inflexion англ. [инфле/кшн] муз. интонация …   Словарь иностранных музыкальных терминов

  • inflection — [n] accent, intonation articulation, change, emphasis, enunciation, modulation, pitch, pronunciation, sound, timbre, tonality, tone, tone of voice, variation; concepts 65,595 Ant. monotone …   New thesaurus

  • inflection — (chiefly Brit. also inflexion) ► NOUN 1) Grammar a change in the form of a word (typically the ending) to express a grammatical function or attribute such as tense, mood, person, number, case, and gender. 2) a variation in intonation or pitch of… …   English terms dictionary

  • Inflection — In grammar, inflection or inflexion is the way language handles grammatical relations and relational categories such as tense, mood, voice, aspect, person, number, gender, case. In covert inflection, such categories are not overtly expressed.… …   Wikipedia

  • inflection — inflectionless, adj. /in flek sheuhn/, n. 1. modulation of the voice; change in pitch or tone of voice. 2. Also, flection. Gram. a. the process or device of adding affixes to or changing the shape of a base to give it a different syntactic… …   Universalium

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