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

Heightened competition from China, as well as a stronger euro, have also dented demand for the bloc’s industrial exports.

From The Wall Street Journal

Despite its inaccuracies, commentators say the film, like many before it, is unlikely to dent Bollywood's popularity in Pakistan, which lacks a comparable local film industry.

From BBC

—The dollar remained weak after reaching a nearly eight-week low in the previous session, dented by expectations for further interest rate cuts following the Federal Reserve’s latest decision and worse-than-expected weekly jobless claims data.

From The Wall Street Journal

Removing more Venezuelan barrels wouldn’t make much of a dent on global oil supply.

From Barron's

So far, carbon capture hasn’t made much of a dent in emissions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• incision
• indentation