I. ˈdent noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, stroke, blow, alteration of dint — more at dint
1. now dialect England : stroke , blow
2. : a depression or hollow such as is made by a blow or by pressure : indentation
a dent in a fender
the touch of his finger made a dent in the swollen flesh
3. : dent corn
4. : an impression or effect often having a minimizing or weakening influence
a sizable dent in the literary consciousness of the American reading public — John Barkham
a dent in the weekly budget
the Texas drought made no appreciable dent on total production — Reporter
nor has any really effective dent been made into the problem of shortages — F.M. Hechinger
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English denten, alteration of dinten — more at dint
transitive verb
1. : to make a dent in or on : indent
the car hood was dented in
dented his fender in the collision
2. : to make an impression or have an effect upon especially with a weakening result
such actions dented his political influence
intransitive verb
: to form a dent by sinking inward : show dents : become dented
tin dents easily
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle French, tooth, from Latin dent-, dens — more at tooth
1. : an indentation or notch
2.
a. in machinery : a tooth especially of a card or gear wheel or in a lock
b. : one of the fine flat wires which compose a reed in a loom and between which the warp threads pass ; also : the space between two such wires by which the number of practicable warp ends is determined
3.
[French, from Middle French]
: a mountain peak that resembles a tooth in shape
IV. abbreviation
dental; dentist; dentistry