n.
Pronunciation: ' d ē - ˌ tent, di- '
Function: noun
Etymology: French détente, from Middle French destente, from destendre to slacken, from Old French, from des- de- + tendre to stretch, from Latin tendere ― more at THIN
Date: 1688
: a device (as a catch, dog, or spring-operated ball) for positioning and holding one mechanical part in relation to another in a manner such that the device can be released by force applied to one of the parts