dent

¹ American  

[dent] / dɛnt /

noun

1. a hollow or depression in a surface, as from a blow.

2. a noticeable effect, especially of reduction.

   to leave a dent in one's savings;

   a dent in one's pride.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make a dent in or on; indent.

   The impact dented the car's fender.

2. to have the effect of reducing or slightly injuring.

   The caustic remark dented his ego.

verb (used without object)

1. to show dents; become indented.

   Tin dents more easily than steel.

2. to sink in, making a dent.

   Nails dent into metal.

idioms

1. 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.

2. make a dent, to cause a person to take heed; make an impression.

   The doctor told him to stop smoking, but it didn't make a dent.

dent ² American  

[dent] / dɛnt /

noun

1. a toothlike projection, as a tooth of a gearwheel.

2. Textiles. the space between two wires through which the warp ends are drawn in the reed of a loom.

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dent- ³ American  

1. variant of denti- before a vowel.

   dentin.

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dent. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. dental.

2. dentist.

3. dentistry.

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dent ¹ British  

/ dɛnt /

noun

1. a hollow or dip in a surface, as one made by pressure or a blow

2. an appreciable effect, esp of lessening

   a dent in our resources

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verb

1. to impress or be impressed with a dent or dents

dent ² British  

/ dɛnt /

noun

1. a toothlike protuberance, esp the tooth of a sprocket or gearwheel

2. textiles the space between two wires in a loom through which a warp thread is drawn

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dent. ³ British  

abbreviation

1. dental

2. dentistry

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dent More Idioms  

1. see make a dent in.

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Usage

What does dent- mean? Dent- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “tooth.” It is used in some medical and scientific terms, including in dentistry.Dent- comes from the Latin dēns, meaning “tooth.” Greek words for “tooth” are odṓn, source of the combining forms odonto- and -odont, and odoús, source of the combining form -odus.The word dent, as in "a hollow or depression in a surface," does not share a root with the combining form dent-. Learn where dent comes from at our entry for the word.What are variants of dent-?Dent- is a variant of dento-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use dento- article.Another, more common, variant of dent-, especially before a form with a Latin root, is denti-, as in dentiform.

Other Word Forms

• undented adjective

Etymology

Origin of dent¹

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

Origin of dent²

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

Example Sentences

Economic worries aren’t putting much of a dent in consumers’ holiday shopping plans, with one glaring exception: Gen Z shoppers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Retail sales returned to growth in September after a prolonged slump, though sentiment is expected to be dented after a fire this week that killed at least 94 people in Hong Kong.

From The Wall Street Journal

And similar to the U.S., the Chinese film market has also been dented by the growth of short-form content and increasing popularity of watching entertainment on phones and tablets, keeping theatergoers at home.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s one small dent in a massive problem, but proof of what’s possible when we focus on care as essential infrastructure.

From MarketWatch

Others have tried but haven’t made much of a dent, ending up working pretty much as lead generators as well.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• incision
• indentation