declinate

[ dek-luh-neyt, -nit ]

adjective

1. having a downward curve or slope; bending away, as from the horizontal:

   a declinate flower.

declinate

/ -nɪt; ˈdɛklɪˌneɪt /

adjective

1. (esp of plant parts) descending from the horizontal in a curve; drooping

Word History and Origins

Origin of declinate¹

1800–10; < Latin dēclīnātus, past participle of dēclīnāre. See decline, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

In the last-mentioned case they are called declinate, as in amaryllis, horse-chestnut and fraxinella.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• arched
• crooked
• curvaceous
• elliptical
• rounded
• serpentine
• twisted
• twisting

More About Declinate

What does declinate mean?

Declinate means having a downward curve or slope.

It’s especially used to describe plant parts, such as the petals of a flower.

The related word declination can mean a bending or sloping downward. Neither this term nor declinate are commonly used in a general way.

Example: This looks like the same kind of flower, but it has declinate petals, whereas the petals of the other one are upturned.

Where does declinate come from?

The first records of the word declinate come from the early 1800s. It derives from the Latin dēclīnātus, meaning “turned aside,” from the Latin verb dēclīnāre, meaning “to slope” or “to bend away” (the word decline comes from the same root).

Many things are declinate, but declinate is not a commonly used word. For example, a bird’s bill may be declinate, but it’s much more likely to be described as downcurved. Declinate is typically reserved for describing parts of plants that droop or slope downward in some way. Still, it’s only likely to be used by botanists and plant enthusiasts—the average person describing a declinate flower would instead describe it with a word like drooping or sloped.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for declinate?

• downcurved
• sloped
• drooping

What are some words that share a root or word element with declinate? 

• decline
• declinatory

What are some words that often get used in discussing declinate?

• plant
• flower
• petal
• part
• leaf
• down
• curve

How is declinate used in real life?

The term declinate is mostly used in a formal way in the context of plants. It’s not commonly used in a general way.

Wow! I’ve never seen one that big and beautiful! Is the flower declinate? Vaseyi is my guess – they have declinate flowers, not erect like erectum. Come to think of it, I actually have seen mammoth trilliums that I identified as vaseyi in western NC, but the flower was more red.

— Chelsea Nicole Miller (@chelseamiller_9) May 11, 2020

Today's #stickoftheday is a declinate and superabundant piece of American Beech. Its bark, nicely crisped with a fine operiment of lichen and fungi, was saporous and delightful pic.twitter.com/5GtxURSgpQ

— Rex the TV terrier (@rexthetvterrier) January 23, 2020

 

Try using declinate!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of declinate?

A. drooping
B. sloping
C. downcurved
D. upturned