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dent

1
[ dent ]
/ dɛnt /
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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
1250–1300; Middle English dente, variant of dint

OTHER WORDS FROM dent

un·dent·ed, adjective

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
1545–55; <Middle French <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. 2022

WORDS THAT USE DENT-

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.

Examples of dent-

A word you may have come across related to dent- is dentist, from the French dentiste. A dentist is “a person whose profession is dentistry, the prevention and treatment of diseases and malformations of the teeth, gums, and oral cavity.”

We know dent- refers to “tooth,” so what does the -ist portion of the word mean? The suffix -ist denotes “a person who practices or is concerned with something.” A dentist is literally a “tooth-ist”!

What are some words that use or are related to the combining form dent-?

What are some other forms that dent- may be commonly confused with?

Break it down!

The combining form -algia means “pain.” With this in mind, what is dentalgia?

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

Medical definitions for dent

dent-
pref.
Variant ofdenti-
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Other Idioms and Phrases with dent

dent

see make a dent in.

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