də̇ˈtent, (ˈ)dē|t- noun
( -s )
Etymology: French détente, from Middle French destente, from destendre to slacken, release, from Old French, from des- de- + tendre to stretch, from Latin tendere — more at thin
: a part of a mechanism (as a catch, pawl, dog, or click) that locks or unlocks a movement: as
a. : the part of a watch or clock that detains a wheel or a lever when moved in one direction but releases it on its return excursion
b. : the set lever in a stem-set watch
c. : the hook that locks and unlocks the striking mechanism in a clock