Quick Definition
κλίνω v. I rest, recline, make to yield
Strong's Definition
a primary verb; to slant or slope, i.e. incline or recline (literally or figuratively)
KJV Usage: bow (down), be far spent, lay, turn to flight, wear away
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | pf. κέκλικα | ἀκλινής · ἀνακλίνω · ἀρχιτρίκλινος · ἐκκλίνω · κατακλίνω · κλίμα · κλινάριον · κλίνη · κλινίδιον · κλισία · προσκλίνομαι · πρόσκλισις · πρωτοκλισία
16.16 · Non-Linear Movement
to bow down (the head), to incline to cause something to incline See also 23.83.
15.65 · Linear Movement · Leave, Depart, Flee, Escape, Send
to cause to run away, to put to flight, to rout to cause to flee or run away from
67.118 · Time · Duration of Time with Reference to Some Point of Time: Until, Delay, Still, From
to draw near, to draw to a close to extend in time, with focus upon the end point For another interpretation of κλίνω in LUK 9:12, see 68.51.
68.51 · Aspect · Cease, Stop
to begin to end to begin to come to an end, with particular reference to the period of a day (a figurative meaning dependent upon the position of the sun) For another interpretation of κλίνω in LUK 9:12, see 67.118.
17.21 · Stances and Events Related to Stances · Prostrate as an Act of Reverence or Supplication
Collocation: κλίνω τὸ πρόσωπον εἰς τὴν γῆν
to prostrate oneself before (an idiom, literally: to incline the face to the ground) to prostrate oneself before someone as an act of reverence, fear, or supplication
23.83 · Physiological Processes and States · Tire, Rest
Collocation: τὴν κεφαλὴν κλίνω
to lie down to rest, to lie down to sleep (an idiom, literally: to lay down the head) to experience the rest which comes from sleep ὁ δὲ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἔχει ποῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν κλίνω ‘the Son of Man has no place to lie down to rest’ MAT 8:20, implies that Jesus possessed no permanent home. In JHN 19:30 this same expression must be understood not as an idiom but as a case of literally bowing the head (see 16.16).
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
κλίνω; 1 aor. ἔκλινα; pf. κέκλικα; 1. trans. a. to incline, bow: τὴν κεφαλήν, of one dying, Jn. xix. 30; τὸ πρόσωπον cis τ. γῆν, of the terrified, Lk. xxiv. 5. b. iq. to cause to fall back: παρεμβολάς, Lat. inclinare acies, i.e. to turn to flight, Heb. xi. 34 (μάχην, Hom. 1]. 14, 510; Τρῶας, 5, 37; ᾿Αχαιούς, Od. 9, 59). c. to recline: τὴν κεφαλήν, in a place for repose [A. V. lay one’s head], Mt. viii. 20; Lk. ix. 58. 2. intrans. fo incline one’s self [ef. B. 145 (127); W. § 38, 1]: of the declining day ΓΑ. V. wear away, be far spent], Lk. ix. 12; xxiv. 29; Jer. vi. 4; ἅμα τῷ κλῖναι τὸ τρίτον μέρος τῆς νυκτός, Polyb. 8, 98, 7; ἐγκλίναντος τοῦ ἡλίου ἐς ἑσπέραν, Arr. anab. 3, 4,2. [Comp.: ava-, ἐκ-, κατα-, προσ-κλίνω.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κλίνω klinō 7x
pr. trans. to cause to slope or bend; to bow down, Lk. 24:5; Jn. 19:30; to lay down to rest, Mt. 8:20; Lk. 9:58; to put to flight troops, Heb. 11:34; intrans. of the day, to decline, Lk. 9:12; 24:29*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
κλίνω,
[in LXX chiefly for נטה;]
to make to bend, to bow: τ. κεφαλήν (of one dying), Jo 19:30; τ. πρόσωτον (of terrified persons), Lk 24:5.
to make to lean, to rest: τ. κεφαλήν (in sleep), Mt 8:20, Lk 9:58.
As in Hom., of soldiers, to turn (to flight), παρεμβολάς, He 11:34.
In late Gk. (as mid. in cl.), to decline: intrans., ἡ ἡμέρα, Lk 9:12 24:29.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κλίνω. To illustrate the varied uses of this verb, we may cite P Hib 1. 388 (B.c. 252-1) συνέβη κλεῖναι τὸν δεξιὸν τοῖχον τοῦ πλοίου καὶ καταδῦναι τὸ πλοῖον διὰ [τ]οῦτο, ‘it came about that the right side of the ship listed and the ship thereby sank’ (Edd.), P Fay 20! (Imperial edict—iii/iv A.D.) ἀεὶ [ἐϊπεὶ Καῖσάρ εἰμι kal περικέκμηκα τὸ κλῖνον ἀναλήμψεσθαι, ‘ever since I became Caesar, I have earnestly striven to restore vigour to what was in decline’’ (Edd.), BGU IV. ro2qiv- 15 (end of iv/A.D.) ποίας δὲ ἔσχεν ἐνθυμήσεις τὸν ἤδη κληθέντα (1 κλιθέντα, sc. νεκρόν) καὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἐλπίδας (1.--ος) ἀποστε[ρ]ῆσαι ; and 20. III. 954° (Christian amulet—vi/A.p.) (= Selections, p. 133) εὐχαριστῶ ἐγὼ Σιλουανὸς vids Σαραπίωνος καὶ κλίνω τὴν κεφαλήν [μο]υ κα --τ:-ενώπιόν σου κτλ., “1 Silvanus, the son of Sarapion, pray and bow my head before Thee”’ etc. See also the love-spell Presigke 49474 (iii/A.D.) ἀγριανθήτω ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῆς, εἰς τὸ παραλλαγῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῆς kal κλιθῆναι εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ψυχήν, ἵνα με φιλῇ.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
κλίνω (klinō) — to bow/lay down. κλίνω [ῑ], future κλῐνῶ [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist 1 ἔκλῑνα [Refs 8th c.BC+]: perfect κέκλῐκα [Refs 2nd c.BC+]:—middle, aorist ἐκλινάμην [Refs 8th c.BC+] —passive, future κλῐθήσομαι συγ-) [Refs 5th c.BC+]: future 2 κατα-κλῐνήσομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist 1 ἐκλίθην [ῐ] [Refs 8th c.BC+]: aorist 2 ἐκλίνην [ῐ] only in compounds, κατακλῐνῆναι [Refs 5th c.BC+]perfect κέκλῐμαι (see. below); infinitive κεκλίσθαι [Refs 2nd c.AD+], for. root κλῐ: κλει-, compare κλειτύ; Sanskrit śráyati 'cause to lean', 'support', Latin clinare, clivus.):—cause to lean, make to slope or slant, ἐπὴν κλίνῃσι τάλαντα Ζεύς when he inclines or turns the scale, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Τρῶας δ᾽ ἔκλιναν Δαναοί made them give way,[Refs 8th c.BC+] — middle, Περσῶν κλινάμενοι [δύναμιν] [Refs]
2. make one thing slope against another, i.e. lean, rest it, τι πρός τι [Refs 8th c.BC+], i.e. raising their shields so that the upper rim rested on their shoulders, [Refs]
3. turn aside, μηκέτι τοῦδε βήματος ἔξω πόδα κλίνῃς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὄσσε πάλιν κλίνασα having turned back her eyes, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τὰς ἐκ τῶν ἀριστερῶν [φλέβας] ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιὰ κ. turn to.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
4. make another recline, ἐν κλίνῃ κλῖναί τινας make them lie down at table, [Refs 5th c.BC+] puts to rest, lays low, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
5. in Magic, make subservient, ψυχήν [Refs]
6. Grammars, inflect, τὰ ῥήματα [Refs 2nd c.AD+]:—passive, [Refs]
II. passive, lean, ἂψ δ᾽ ὁ πάϊς πρὸς κόλπον ἐϋζώνοιο τιθήνης ἐκλίνθη [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὁ δ᾽ ἐκλίνθη, καὶ ἀλεύατο κῆρα μέλαιναν he bent aside, [Refs]; of a brasen foot-pan, ἂψ δ᾽ ἑτέρωσ᾽ ἐκλίθη it was tipped over, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of battle, turn, ἐκλίνθη δὲ μάχη [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of a body in equilibrium, οὐδαμόσε κλιθῆναι [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2. lean, stay oneself upon or against a thing, with dative, ἀσπίσι κεκλιμένοι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κίονι, κλισμῷ κεκλιμένη, [Refs 8th c.BC+] (also in middle, κλινάμενος σταθμῷ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὅταν τύχωσι (i.e. αἱ ἄτομοἰ τῇ περιπλοκῇ κεκλιμέναι when they chance to be propped (i.e. checked) by the interlacing with others, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.3. lie down, fall, ἐν νεκύεσσι κλινθήτην [Refs 8th c.BC+]; παραὶ λεχέεσσι κλιθῆναι lie beside her on the bed, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: in perfect, to be laid, lie, ἔντεα.. παρ᾽ αὐτοῖσι χθονὶ κέκλιτο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; φύλλων κεκλιμένων of fallen leaves, [Refs 8th c.BC+], slanting leaves); Ληθαίῳ κεκλιμένη πεδίῳ [Refs 6th c.BC+]; Ἀλφεοῦ πόρῳ κλιθείς laid by Alpheus' stream, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπὶ γόνυ κέκλιται has fallen on her knee, i.e.is humbled, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.4. recline at meals, κλιθέντες ἐδαίνυντο [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κλίθητι καὶ πίωμεν conjecture in [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.5. of Places, lie sloping towards the sea, etc., lie near, ἁλὶ κεκλιμένη [Refs 8th c.BC+]: hence, of persons, lie on, live on or by, [Ὀρέσβιος] λίμνῃ κεκλιμένος Κηφισίδι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πλευρὰ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς κεκλιμένη, τὸ εἰς τὰς ἄρκτους κ., [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
II.6. metaphorically, τῷδε μέλει κλιθείς having devoted himself to.., [Refs 5th c.BC+] (also in active, incline towards, τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους κεκλικότων [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
II.7. wander from the right course, κεκλιμένη ναῦς [Refs 6th c.BC+]
III. middle, decline, wane, καὶ κλίνεται (i.e. τὸ ἦμαρ) [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV. intransitive in active, κ. πρὸς τὸ ξανθὸν χρῶμα incline towards.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]; κλίνοντος ὑπὸ ζόφον ἠελίοιο as the sun was declining, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ἅμα τῷ κλῖναι τὸ τρίτον μέρος τῆς νυκτός as it came to an end, [NT+5th c.BC+]
IV.2. of soldiers, κ. ἐπ᾽ ἀσπίδα, ἐπὶ δόρυ, turn to left, to right, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; also, wheel, [Refs 1st c.BC+]