Bentness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The condition of having a curved or angled shape rather than being straight, or the extent to which something is curved
2. The quality of being curved, angled or deformed from a straight line, measured by how far a thing departs from straightness
3. The degree to which an object or structure has been curved out of its original straight form

Etymology: "Bentness" is a plain formation: the adjective "bent" with the suffix "-ness," which English has long used to turn adjectives into nouns of quality or state. Its sense follows directly from "bent," meaning curved, inclined, or deflected from a straight line, so "bentness" names the condition of being bent. The more interesting history lies in "bent" itself, which is the past participle of "bend" and carries a wide range of figurative meanings in English. Because the word can describe a determined inclination or a settled disposition, "bentness" can refer to a set tendency of character as well as a physical curve, though the literal sense is the usual one.

Synonyms: curvature, crookedness, curvedness, flexure

Antonyms: straightness