Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

detent

/dɪˈtɛnt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.08 in modern English

Syllables: de-tent
IPA: /dɪˈtɛnt/

7

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

That which locks or unlocks a movement; a catch (stopping mechanism), pawl, or dog; especially, in clockwork, the catch which locks and unlocks the wheelwork in striking.

verb

The action of locking or unlocking movement by way of a detent mechanism

Example Sentences

"A UHF tuner having 70 detent positions with fine tuning capability at all locations. Coarse tuning is accomplished via a toothed, detented disk and a spirally-extending rim having a follower lever operable therewith."

Etymology

From French détente, from Latin tendō (“to stretch”).

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: détente, tendō

Inflected Forms

detents (plural) detents (present, singular) detenting (participle, present) detented (participle, past) detented (past)

Frequently Paired Words

détente

Synonyms

pawl click dog

Rhymes With

went event present sent percent spent content meant cent prevent rent extent

Questions

How do you pronounce detent?: The recorded pronunciation is /dɪˈtɛnt/.
What does detent mean?: That which locks or unlocks a movement; a catch (stopping mechanism), pawl, or dog; especially, in clockwork, the catch which locks and unlocks the wheelwork in striking.
Where does detent come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce detent

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “detent”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/dɪˈtɛnt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “detent”.
Repeat and practice — Say “detent” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.