dent

plural dents

1. A shallow deformation in the surface of an object, produced by an impact.

   The crash produced a dent in the left side of the car.

2. figurativelyA minor effect made upon something.

   to make a dent

   2 more examples

   "Case Of You" (#67, 1980), a single on the Scotti Brothers label, was Frank's first chart dent.

   1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 392

   The transitoriness perhaps makes viral content the most representative form of culture in the twenty-first century: an era of vast quantities, deep specificity, and breakneck speed, where few individual artifacts, artworks, or conventions leave a dent in society or bend the curve of history.

   2022, W. David Marx, chapter 10, in Status and Culture, Viking, →ISBN

3. A type of maize/corn with a relatively soft outer hull, and a soft type of starch that shrinks at maturity to leave an indentation in the surface of the kernel.
4. broadlyinformalA sudden negative change, such as loss, damage, weakening, consumption or diminution, especially one produced by an external force, event or action

   That purchase put a bit of a dent in my wallet.

   1 more example

   Andy Carroll's first goals since his £35m move to Liverpool put a dent in Manchester City's Champions League hopes as they were emphatically swept aside at Anfield.

   2011 April 11, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 3 - 0 Man City”, in BBC Sport

present singular third person dents · participle present denting · participle past dented · past dented

1. transitiveTo impact something, producing a dent.
2. intransitiveTo develop a dent or dents.

   Copper is soft and dents easily.

plural dents

1. engineeringA tooth, as of a card, a gear wheel, etc.
2. businessA slot or a wire in a reed.

   Centering for a weaving width of 15 7/15", sley 2 ends per dent in a 15-dent reed, or centering for a width of 15 5/10", sley 3 ends per dent in a 10-dent reed.

   2026, Shelby Moravec, “Flight of the Dragonflies Scarf”, in Handwoven, volume XLVII, number 1, page 28

plural Dents

1. countableuncountableA village and civil parish in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England, previously in South Lakeland district (OS grid ref SD7086).
2. countableuncountableA surname.