- dent⇄dent (1), noun, verb.
- dent⇄dent (2), noun.
1. a toothlike part in a gearwheel, lock, or mechanical device.
2. a notch or indentation.
Ex. High was his comb ... In dents embattled like a castle wall (John Dryden). - dent⇄noun 1. a hollow made by a blow or pressure.
Ex. The boys threw rocks that made dents in the steel doors. The fall put a dent in my bicycle fender.
2. a weak spot; the start of a break, hole, or cut.
Ex. (Figurative.) The purchase of a - dent⇄v.i. to become dented.
Ex. Soft wood dents easily. The teakettle dented when it was dropped on the floor. - dent⇄v.t. to make a dent in.
Ex. The movers dented the top of the table when they banged it against the doorknob. 125 workers labored 48 hours a week most of the past year trying to dent their backlog (Wall Street Journal).