First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
recline
verb re·cline \ri-ˈklīn\
: to sit back or lie down in a relaxed manner
: to lean backward
re·clinedre·clin·ing
Full Definition of RECLINE
transitive verb
: to cause or permit to incline backwards
intransitive verb
1
: to lean or incline backwards
See recline defined for English-language learners
See recline defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of RECLINE
Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French recliner, from Latin reclinare, from re- + clinare to bend — more at lean
Rhymes with RECLINE
A-line, affine, airline, align, alkyne, alpine, assign, at sign, balkline, baseline, beeline, benign, bloodline, blue line, blush wine, bovine, bowline, branchline, breadline, bright-line, buntline, bustline, byline, call sign, canine, caprine, carbine, carmine, cervine, chow line, clothesline, cloud nine, coastline, combine, compline, condign, confine, consign, corvine, cosign, cutline, dateline, deadline, decline, define, design, divine, dragline, driveline, earthshine, Einstein, eiswein, end line, enshrine, entwine, equine, ethyne, fall line, fault line, feline, ferine, first-line, flatline, flight line, foul line, fräulein, frontline, front line, goal line, gold mine, grapevine, guideline, hairline, hard-line, hard pine, headline, hemline, high sign, hipline, Holbein, hotline, ice wine, incline, indign, in fine, in-line, Irvine, jawline, jug wine, landline, land mine, lang syne, lifeline, load line, longline, lupine, mainline, main line, malign, midline, moline, moonshine, neckline, off-line, old-line, online, opine, outline, outshine, ovine, Pauline, peace sign, Petrine, pipeline, piscine, pitch pine, plotline, plumb line, plus sign, pontine, porcine, potline, pound sign, propine, punch line, rapine, redline, red pine, refine, reline, repine, resign, Rhine wine, ridgeline, roofline, Sabine, saline, Scotch pine, scrub pine, setline, shoreline, short line, sideline, sight line, skyline, snow line, soft-line, spring line, straight-line, strandline, straw wine, streamline, strip mine, strychnine, subline, sunshine, supine, syncline, taurine, tie-line, times sign, topline, touchline, towline, tramline, trapline, tree line, trephine, trotline, truckline, trunk line, tumpline, turbine, untwine, ursine, vespine, V sign, vulpine, waistline, white line, white pine, white wine, woodbine, yard line, zebrine, Z line
RECLINE Defined for Kids
recline
verb re·cline \ri-ˈklīn\
re·clinedre·clin·ing
Definition of RECLINE for Kids
1
: to lie down or sit back usually in a relaxed way
2
: to lean backward <Does that chair recline?>
Learn More About RECLINE
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: reclinerPrevious Word in the Dictionary: reclinationAll Words Near: recline
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up recline? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).