dent
dent — 名詞
1. a shallow, bowl-shaped hollow pressed into a hard surface by a sudden impact or
凹痕
表面因碰撞而出現的凹陷
a shallow, bowl-shaped hollow pressed into a hard surface by a sudden impact or by steady force over a small area
Lan found a small dent in his new car after the parking lot incident.
Lan 在停車場事故後，發現新車上有一個小凹痕。
collocation: small dent / find a dent
The hailstorm left several deep dents across the metal roof of the old barn.
那場冰雹在舊穀倉的金屬屋頂上留下了好幾處深深的凹痕。
collocation: deep dent / leave a dent
When Niran dropped the hammer, it created a noticeable dent in the wooden floor.
Niran 把榔頭掉到地板上時，在木頭地面砸出了一個明顯的凹痕。
The delivery van had a large dent near the rear wheel after hitting the gate.
那輛送貨車撞到閘門後，後輪附近出現了一個大凹痕。
- indentation
more formal, broader term for any inward curve
- ding
informal, used mainly for small marks on metal or vehicles
- dimple
small, natural, or attractive hollow, not accidental damage
文法句型
a dent (in something)
用法筆記
A dent is always an indentation (inward curve), not a raised bump. Use 'dent' for accidental damage; 'dimple' for small, intentional, or attractive hollows.
常見錯誤
2. a noticeable reduction in an amount, supply, or resource, typically caused by us
削減；消耗
數量或資源的明顯減少
a noticeable reduction in an amount, supply, or resource, typically caused by using or consuming some of it
Buying new furniture made a noticeable dent in Gabriela's savings account.
購買新家具讓 Gabriela 的儲蓄帳戶明顯減少了一大截。
pattern: make a dent in [resource]
The charity walk only put a small dent in the funds for the new hospital.
那場慈善步行募款只為新醫院的資金籌到一小部分。
Even with discounts, the holiday spending put a big dent in their monthly household budget.
即使有折扣，假期的花費仍對他們每月的家庭預算造成了很大的負擔。
The team's overtime hardly made any dent in the mountain of unfinished customer orders.
團隊加班努力，卻幾乎未能消化堆積如山的未完成客戶訂單。
文法句型
make a dent in [resource]
put a dent in [resource]
a dent in [amount]
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used in the phrases 'make a dent in' or 'put a dent in'. It frequently appears in negative contexts ('not make a dent') to suggest that efforts were insufficient.
常見錯誤
3. a short written form of the words 'dental', 'dentist', or 'dentistry', used in m
牙科
牙科牙醫的書面縮寫
a short written form of the words 'dental', 'dentist', or 'dentistry', used in medical notes, labels, and appointment records
The clinic door had a small sign that read 'Dent. Surg.' — short for Dental Surgery.
診所的門上有一塊小牌子寫著「Dent. Surg.」，就是口腔外科的縮寫。
abbreviation on signage
On the referral form, the GP wrote 'dent. exam needed' to request a dental check-up.
家庭醫師在轉診單上寫了「dent. exam needed」，表示需要安排牙科檢查。
The dentist's business card listed her degree as 'Dent. Med.' under her name.
牙醫的名片上在她名字下方列出了學位「Dent. Med.」。
The hospital directory used 'Dent.' to mark the dentistry department on the second floor.
醫院的樓層指南用「Dent.」來標示二樓的牙科部門。
The insurance form had 'dent. surg.' listed under the list of approved procedures.
保險表格的核准療程清單中列有「dent. surg.」。
文法句型
used in writing, not speech
用法筆記
This abbreviation appears mainly in written medical records, prescription pads, and professional directories. It is not used in spoken English. The period after 'dent' is standard in formal writing.
4. a word element originating from Latin that means 'tooth' or 'teeth', used in med
齒（構詞）
表示牙齒的拉丁語構詞成分
a word element originating from Latin that means 'tooth' or 'teeth', used in medical and biological terminology
The word 'dentist' comes from the combining form 'dent-' which means tooth.
「dentist」這個字來自構詞成分「dent-」，意思是牙齒。
combining form in common words
In biology class, Sahil studied the dentition patterns of different mammal species.
生物課上，Sahil 研究了不同哺乳類動物的齒列模式。
dentition (derived term)
The dentist explained that dentine is the hard layer beneath the enamel of a tooth.
牙醫解釋說，象牙質是琺瑯質下方那層堅硬的組織。
A trident has three prongs, and its name comes from the Latin for 'three teeth'.
三叉戟有三個尖頭，它的名稱來自拉丁文中「三顆牙齒」的意思。
The dental student memorized the names of all the dentin layers for the exam.
牙醫系學生為了考試，背下了所有牙本質層的名稱。
文法句型
used as a prefix or root in compound words
用法筆記
The combining form appears in many English words: dentist, dental, denture, dentine, dentition, and trident (three-toothed). It is not a standalone word — it must attach to another word element.
dent — 動詞
1. to strike or press a surface so that a shallow, bowl-shaped hollow forms there
撞凹；弄凹
使硬物表面產生凹陷
to strike or press a surface so that a shallow, bowl-shaped hollow forms there
Eli accidentally dented the metal filing cabinet when he moved his desk across the room.
Eli 在把辦公桌搬到房間另一頭時，不小心撞凹了金屬檔案櫃。
The falling coconut dented the roof of Shirin's garden shed beyond repair.
掉落的椰子砸凹了 Shirin 花園工具間的屋頂，已經無法修復。
transitive: dent + object (physical)
Someone dented the side panel of Christopher's bicycle while it was locked outside the station.
有人把 Christopher 的自行車側板撞凹了，當時腳踏車鎖在車站外面。
Hoa dropped a heavy textbook and dented the corner of the wooden coffee table.
Hoa 掉了一本厚重的教科書，砸凹了木製咖啡桌的一角。
- flatten
opposite action — to make a surface level again
文法句型
dent + noun (physical object)
用法筆記
Commonly used in passive voice: 'The car door was dented by a shopping cart.' The object is typically a hard, manufactured surface such as a vehicle, appliance, or piece of furniture.
常見錯誤
2. to weaken or reduce someone's confidence, pride, reputation, or another intangib
打擊；削弱
損害自信、名譽等無形品質
to weaken or reduce someone's confidence, pride, reputation, or another intangible personal quality, often through failure or criticism
Failing the driving test dented Soraya's confidence more than she had expected.
駕照沒考過對 Soraya 自信的打擊比她想像的還要大。
collocation: dent + confidence
The team's unexpected loss to a weaker opponent dented their reputation among local fans.
球隊意外輸給實力較弱的對手，削弱了他們在當地球迷心目中的名聲。
collocation: dent + reputation
Wren's professional pride was dented when the committee rejected her proposal without discussion.
Wren 的職業自尊心受到了打擊，因為委員會沒經過討論就直接否決了她的提案。
The sharp criticism from a senior colleague dented Anna's belief in her own research abilities.
一位資深同事尖銳的批評動搖了 Anna 對自己研究能力的信心。
文法句型
dent + [confidence / pride / reputation / morale]
用法筆記
The object must be an abstract quality — never a person or body part. Frequently used in passive constructions ('His pride was dented'). This sense is not used with the 'make/put a dent in' frame (that belongs to noun sense 2).