The term 'degree of bending' is used to describe the amount of CURVATURE in a given object. CURVATURE is the measure of how much an object bends or curves, and is usually measured in terms of the radius of the curve. The crossword solution for this term is 'CURVATURE, ' which is a nine-letter word that describes the degree of bending in an object. CURVATURE can be used to describe the shape of any curved surface, such as a circle, ellipse, or parabola.