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Synonyms

declinate

American  
[dek-luh-neyt, -nit] / ˈdɛk ləˌneɪt, -nɪt /

adjective

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

    a declinate flower.

declinate British  
/ ˈdɛklɪˌneɪt, -nɪt /

adjective

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of declinate

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From Project Gutenberg

Declinate, declined, turned to one side, or downwards.

From Project Gutenberg

Declinate -us: a part somewhat bent, the apex downward.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.