Poles' strange inclination (5)
I believe the answer is:
slope
'inclination' is the definition.
(slope is a kind of inclination)
'pole's strange' is the wordplay.
'strange' is an anagram indicator.
'poles' with letters rearranged gives 'SLOPE'.
(Other definitions for slope that I've seen before include "Rev Obadiah" , "A rise, possibly" , "Inclination" , "Be inclined" , "bank" .)