Dent and Dint Are the Same Word
A dent is a hollow made by a blow. The phrase by dint of preserves the older form.
A dent is a hollow in a surface made by a blow or pressure. It is a variant of *dint*, an Old English word meaning a stroke or blow, and *dint* survives only in the phrase *by dint of*, meaning by force of — so *by dint of hard work* literally means by the blows of hard work. The dental sense is unrelated: *dentist*, *dental* and *indent* come from Latin *dens*, a tooth, which happens to look identical.
- A hollow from a blow. *A dent in the door.*
- To make a hollow. *Dented the panel.*
- A reduction. *A dent in the savings.*
- By dint of — by force of. *By dint of effort.*
- Old English — *dynt*, a blow. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | dent | A dent. |
| Plural | dents | Dents. |
| Verb | dent | Dented. |
| Variant | dint | By dint of. |
| Old English | dynt | A blow. |
- There is a dent in the wing.Damage.
- It made a dent in the budget.Figurative.
- By dint of sheer persistence.Idiom.
Words surviving in one phrase only
- Dint — only in *by dint of*
- Fro — only in *to and fro*
- Kith — only in *kith and kin*
- Shrift — only in *short shrift*
- Ulterior — almost only before *motive*
A variant of *dint*, from Old English *dynt*, a blow or stroke.
What does by dint of mean?
By force of. Dint is the older form of dent and meant a blow, so by dint of effort means through the force of effort.
Is dent related to dentist?
No. Dental words come from Latin dens, a tooth. The hollow comes from an Old English word meaning a blow.