Noun

(en noun)

A course of action that a person intends to follow.

:

*(Samuel Johnson) (1709-1784) (but see Apocryhpha )

*:Hell is paved with good intentions .

*

*:“My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. ¶ “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”

*{{quote-book, year=1935, author= George Goodchild

, title=Death on the Centre Court, chapter=3 , passage=It had been his intention to go to Wimbledon, but as he himself said: “Why be blooming well frizzled when you can hear all the results over the wireless. And results are all that concern me.

The goal or purpose behind a specific action or set of actions.

:

(lb) Tension; straining, stretching.

*, I.iii.3:

*:cold in those inner parts, cold belly, and hot liver, causeth crudity, and intention proceeds from perturbations […].

A stretching or bending of the mind toward of the mind toward an object; closeness of application; fixedness of attention; earnestness.

*(John Locke) (1632-1705)

*:Intention is when the mind, with great earnestness, and of choice, fixes its view on any idea.

(lb) The object toward which the thoughts are directed; end; aim.

*1732 , (John Arbuthnot), An Essay Concerning the Nature of Ailments … , Prop. II, p.159:

*:In a Word, the most part of chronical Distempers proceed from Laxity of Fibres; in which Case the principal Intention is to restore the Tone of the solid Parts;.

(lb) Any mental apprehension of an object.

(lb) The process of the healing of a wound.

*2007 , Carie Ann Braun, ?Cindy Miller Anderson, Pathophysiology: Functional Alterations in Human Health , p.49:

*:When healing occurs by primary intention , the wound is basically closed with all areas of the wound connecting and healing simultaneously.

(Webster 1913)

Noun

(physiology, uncountable) The drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm, as part of the act of respiration.

*

*

(countable) A breath, a single inhalation.

* 1826 , , An Elementary System of Physiology , p. 220:

Laughing is produced by an inspiration succeeded by a succession of short imperfect expirations.

*

*

A supernatural divine influence on the prophets, apostles, or sacred writers, by which they were qualified to communicate moral or religious truth with authority; a supernatural influence which qualifies men to receive and communicate divine truth; also, the truth communicated.

* 1688 , , The History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches Vol.2 (1829 translation), p. 355:

The question, therefore, at issue is, not whether those external means be sufficient without grace and divine inspiration', for none pretends that": but, in order to hinder men from feigning or imagining an '''inspiration''', whether it has not been God's economy, and his usual conduct to make his ' inspiration walk hand in hand with certain means of fact, which men can neither feign in the air without being convicted of falsehood, nor imagine without illusion.

The act of an elevating]] or [[stimulate, stimulating influence upon the intellect, emotions or creativity. In this sense, it is generally followed by the adposition to'' or ''for :

* She was waiting for inspiration to write a book.

* She was waiting for inspiration for writing a book.

* 1865 , , The Nation's Wail , p. 6:

We caught the inspiration of his joy; and imagination painted a glorious future near at hand for our land, quickly to develop itself under the guidance of his fostering wisdom, and fraternal counsels and care.

*

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=“Well,” I answered, at first with uncertainty, then with inspiration , “he would do splendidly to lead your cotillon, if you think of having one.” ¶ “So you do not dance, Mr. Crocker?” ¶ I was somewhat set back by her perspicuity.}}

* 1998 , David Allen Brown, Leonardo da Vinci: Origins of a Genius , p. 25:

All this suggests that Andrea may, like the authors of the devotional panel, the fresco, and the print – and like Leonardo, as we shall see – have found his inspiration in Pollaiuolo.

* 2002 , Sven Rasegård, Man and Science: A Web of Systems and Social Conventions , p. 2:

And now it is time for problem solving which, if successful, will create new ideas serving as an inspiration source for future research objects of the researcher in question as well as other researchers within the same field.

* 2013 , (Phil McNulty), " Liverpool 1-0 Man Utd", BBC Sport , 1 September 2013:

As for United, this was a performance lacking in inspiration , purpose and threat and once again underlined the urgency for transfer business to be done in the closing hours of the transfer window.

A person, object, or situation which quickens or stimulates an influence upon the intellect, emotions or creativity.

* 2008 April 5, , Presidential Radio Address:

The people of Ukraine and Georgia are an inspiration to the world and I was pleased that this week NATO declared that Ukraine and Georgia will become members of NATO.

A new idea, especially one which arises suddenly and is clever or creative.

* 1895 , , (The Time Machine) , ch. 1:

After an interval the Psychologist had an inspiration . "It must have gone into the past if it has gone anywhere," he said.

* 1916 , (Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton), Mrs. Balfame , ch. 15:

Mrs. Balfame had an inspiration . "My God!" she exclaimed, springing to her feet, "the murderer . . . was hidden in the cellar or attic all night, all the next day! He may be here yet!"

* 2007 July 1, Sylviane Gold, " Scenery Chewer Plays It Straight, Methodically," New York Times (retrieved 3 Sept. 2013):

[H]e accompanied her to a rehearsal of a skit satirizing “Casablanca,” and the director had an inspiration : Wouldn’t it be a laugh to cast a 10-year-old as Rick?