v. re·clined, re·clin·ing, re·clines v.intr. 1. To lean back or lie down on one's back. 2. To be adjustable so that the occupant may recline rather than sit up: a seat that reclines. v.tr. To cause to recline. [Middle English reclinen, from Old French recliner, from Latin reclīnāre : re-, re- + -clīnāre, to bend; see klei- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] rec′li·nation (rĕk′lə-nāshən) n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.