If someone has a penchant for something, they have a special liking for it or a tendency to do it. a stylish woman with a penchant for dark glasses = fondness. a/sb's penchant for sth if you have a penchant for something, you like that thing very much and try to do it or have it often (present participle of pencher )
[ 'pen-ch&nt, esp British ] (noun.) 1672. French, from present participle of pencher to incline, from Vulgar Latin pendicare, from Latin pendere to weigh.