Adjacent Words

Dent definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DENT, n.
1. Literally, a tooth or projecting point. But it is used to express a gap or notch, or rather a depression or small hollow in a solid body; a hollow made by the pressure of a harder body on a softer; indentation. In this sense, it is in customary use in the United States.
2. A stroke.
DENT, v.t. To make a dent or small hollow.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an appreciable consequence (especially a lessening); "it made a dent in my bank account"
2: a depression scratched or carved into a surface [syn: incision, scratch, prick, slit, dent]
3: an impression in a surface (as made by a blow) [syn: dent, ding, gouge, nick] v
1: make a depression into; "The bicycle dented my car" [syn: indent, dent]

Merriam Webster's

biographical name Joseph Malaby 1849-1926 English publisher

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, short for indenten to make dents in, indent Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to make a dent in <dent a car's bumper> 2. to have a weakening effect on intransitive verb to form a dent by sinking inward ; become dented II. noun Date: 1565 1. a depression or hollow made by a blow or by pressure 2. an appreciable impression or effect often made against resistance <hasn't made a dent in the problem>; specifically a weakening or lessening effect <costs that have made a dent in the budget> III. noun Etymology: French, literally, tooth, from Latin dent-, dens Date: 1703 tooth 3a IV. abbreviation dental; dentist; dentistry

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a slight mark or hollow in a surface made by, or as if by, a blow with a hammer etc. 2 a noticeable effect (lunch made a dent in our funds). --v.tr. 1 mark with a dent. 2 have (esp. an adverse) effect on (the news dented our hopes). Etymology: ME, prob. f INDENT(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Dent Dent, n. [A variant of Dint.] 1. A stroke; a blow. [Obs.] ``That dent of thunder.'' --Chaucer. 2. A slight depression, or small notch or hollow, made by a blow or by pressure; an indentation. A blow that would have made a dent in a pound of butter. --De Quincey.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Dent Dent, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dented; p. pr. & vb. n. Denting.] To make a dent upon; to indent. The houses dented with bullets. --Macaulay.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Dent Dent, n. [F., fr. L. dens, dentis, tooth. See Tooth.] (Mach.) A tooth, as of a card, a gear wheel, etc. --Knight.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(dents, denting, dented) 1. If you dent the surface of something, you make a hollow area in it by hitting or pressing it. Its brass feet dented the carpet's thick pile. VERB: V n • dented Watch out for bargains, but never buy dented cans. ADJ 2. A dent is a hollow in the surface of something which has been caused by hitting or pressing it. There was a dent in the car which hadn't been there before. N-COUNT 3. If something dents your ideas or your pride, it makes you realize that your ideas are wrong, or that you are not as good or successful as you thought. This has not dented the City's enthusiasm for the company. VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Indentation, dint, nick, notch. II. v. a. Indent, make a dent upon.

Foolish Dictionary

To punch.

Moby Thesaurus

alveolation, alveolus, baby tooth, bicuspid, boss, bucktooth, bump, canine, colophon, concavity, convexity, crown, cuspid, cutter, dactylogram, dactylograph, deciduous tooth, denticle, denticulation, dentil, dentition, depress, dimple, dint, dogtooth, embossment, engrave, excrescence, eyetooth, fang, fingerprint, footmark, footprint, footstep, fore tooth, fossil footprint, furrow, gagtooth, gang tooth, gold tooth, gouge, grinder, honeycomb, ichnite, ichnolite, impress, impression, imprint, incisor, indent, indentation, indention, indenture, lump, milk tooth, molar, notch, pad, paw print, pawmark, peg, permanent tooth, pimple, pit, pivot tooth, pock, pockmark, premolar, press in, print, pug, pugmark, punch, punch in, recess, scrivello, seal, set back, set in, sigil, signet, snag, snaggletooth, stamp, step, stud, sunken part, tamp, thumbmark, thumbprint, tooth, tush, tusk, vestige, wisdom tooth