| 释义 |
dent
I. \ˈdent\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English, stroke, blow, alteration of dint — more at dint
1. now dialect England : stroke, blow
2. : a depression or hollow such as is made by a blow or by pressure : indentation
< a dent in a fender >
< the touch of his finger made a dent in the swollen flesh >
3. : dent corn
4. : an impression or effect often having a minimizing or weakening influence
< a sizable dent in the literary consciousness of the American reading public — John Barkham >
< a dent in the weekly budget >
< the Texas drought made no appreciable dent on total production — Reporter >
< nor has any really effective dent been made into the problem of shortages — F.M. Hechinger >
II. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English denten, alteration of dinten — more at dint
transitive verb
1. : to make a dent in or on : indent
< the car hood was dented in >
< dented his fender in the collision >
2. : to make an impression or have an effect upon especially with a weakening result
< such actions dented his political influence >
intransitive verb
: to form a dent by sinking inward : show dents : become dented
< tin dents easily >
III. noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle French, tooth, from Latin dent-, dens — more at tooth
1. : an indentation or notch
2.
a. in machinery : a tooth especially of a card or gear wheel or in a lock
b. : one of the fine flat wires which compose a reed in a loom and between which the warp threads pass; also : the space between two such wires by which the number of practicable warp ends is determined
3. [French, from Middle French] : a mountain peak that resembles a tooth in shape
IV. abbreviation
dental; dentist; dentistry |