rə̇ˈklīn, rēˈ- verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English reclinen, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French recliner, from Latin reclinare, from re- + clinare to bend, lean — more at lean
transitive verb
: to cause or permit to incline backward : place in a recumbent position : lean , rest
reclines her head on a pillow
reclined the seat a little — Henry LaCossitt
intransitive verb
1. : to lean or incline backward
was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease — Scott Fitzgerald
2. : to lie in a recumbent position — usually used with on
on a sofa with two cylindrical pillows reclined a … pretty woman — Thomas Hardy