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dent

1
[ dent ]
/ dɛnt /
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See synonyms for dent on Thesaurus.com
noun
a hollow or depression in a surface, as from a blow.
a noticeable effect, especially of reduction: to leave a dent in one's savings;a dent in one's pride.
verb (used with object)
to make a dent in or on; indent: The impact dented the car's fender.
to have the effect of reducing or slightly injuring: The caustic remark dented his ego.
verb (used without object)
to show dents; become indented: Tin dents more easily than steel.
to sink in, making a dent: Nails dent into metal.
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Idioms about dent

    make a dent, Informal. to cause a person to take heed; make an impression: The doctor told him to stop smoking, but it didn't make a dent.
    make a dent in, to show initial progress; pass an initial stage of (work, thought, solving a problem, etc.): I haven't even made a dent in this pile of work.

Origin of dent

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English dint, dent, dunt “blow of a weapon; stroke of a sword”; see origin at dint

OTHER WORDS FROM dent

un·dent·ed, adjective

Words nearby dent

densify, densimeter, densitometer, density, density function, dent, dental, dental caries, dental clinic, dental dam, dental floss

Other definitions for dent (2 of 4)

dent2
[ dent ]
/ dɛnt /
noun
a toothlike projection, as a tooth of a gearwheel.
Textiles. the space between two wires through which the warp ends are drawn in the reed of a loom.

Origin of dent

2
First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French, from Latin dent- (stem of dēns ) tooth

Other definitions for dent (3 of 4)

dent-
variant of denti- before a vowel: dentin.

Other definitions for dent (4 of 4)

dent.
abbreviation
dental.
dentist.
dentistry.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to dent

incision, indentation, nick, cavity, crater, crenel, cut, dimple, dint, dip, embrasure, furrow, hollow, impression, notch, pit, scallop, score, scratch, sink

How to use dent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dent (1 of 3)

dent1
/ (dɛnt) /
noun
a hollow or dip in a surface, as one made by pressure or a blow
an appreciable effect, esp of lesseninga dent in our resources
verb
to impress or be impressed with a dent or dents

Word Origin for dent

C13 (in the sense: a stroke, blow): variant of dint

British Dictionary definitions for dent (2 of 3)

dent2
/ (dɛnt) /
noun
a toothlike protuberance, esp the tooth of a sprocket or gearwheel
textiles the space between two wires in a loom through which a warp thread is drawn

Word Origin for dent

C16: from French: tooth

British Dictionary definitions for dent (3 of 3)

dent.
abbreviation for
dental
dentistry
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with dent

dent

see make a dent in.

The American HeritageŸ Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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