# incline

Pronunciation: say "IN-klyn" /ˈɪn.klaɪn/

## Noun

1. A sloping surface or stretch of ground that rises or falls away from level.
   - Simple: A sloping piece of ground that goes up or down instead of staying flat.
   - _The road climbed a long incline before leveling off near the summit._
   - _Cyclists dreaded the final incline on the mountain route._
5. The portal of a subway tunnel, where the tracks open at the surface.
   - Simple: The opening where a subway tunnel comes up to the surface.
   - _Crews repaired the tracks just inside the incline where the tunnel met daylight._
   - _Outbound trains leave the tunnel at the Elm Street Incline and run at street level from there._

## Verb

Pronunciation: say "in-KLYN" /ɪnˈklaɪn/

2. To tend toward a particular action or belief, or to be moved toward a certain view, attitude, or direction.
   - Simple: To lean toward one choice, belief, or feeling more than another.
   - _Most experts incline toward the view that the data was misread._
   - _He inclines to caution whenever money is involved._
3. To bend or move something out of its usual plane or direction, often away from the horizontal or vertical.
   - Simple: To bend or tip something so it is no longer straight up or flat.
   - _Incline the panel slightly toward the sun to capture more light._
   - _He inclined the telescope upward to track the rising planet._
4. To slope, rising or falling away from a level surface.
   - Simple: To slope upward or downward instead of staying level.
   - _The roof tiles incline just enough to let rain run off._
   - _Beyond the gate, the lawn inclines toward a small pond._

## Origin

From Middle English enclinen, from Old French encliner, from Latin inclīnō ("to incline, tilt"), formed from in- plus clīnō, and ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to lean" (also the source of English lean).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/incline (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).