dent

A dent is a shallow hollow or impression in a surface, typically produced by impact or pressure. Dents most commonly occur in metal surfaces such as automobile bodies, appliances, or sheets of metal, but they can also appear in wood, plastic, or composite materials. The depth and shape of a dent can vary, from a small dimple to a sizeable indentation that alters the surface contour.

Causes and implications vary by context. In everyday use, a dent is usually the result of a collision, drop, or pressure against the surface. In metals and structural materials, a dent can indicate localized plastic deformation and may affect appearance, aerodynamics, or, in critical components, load distribution.

Repair and assessment are context dependent. Small dents on cars are often addressed with paintless dent repair, which aims to restore the original shape without repainting. Larger dents or those accompanied by paint damage may require traditional body work, filler, and refinishing. In materials testing, the term dent is sometimes used loosely to describe an indentation produced by an indenter; the more precise term in that setting is indentation or impression, as used in hardness tests.

Etymology and linguistic notes. The word dent comes from Old French dent, from Latin dens, dentis, meaning tooth. The sense of a hollow or notch is a metaphorical extension of the tooth idea. In medical language, the root dent- appears in dental-related terms such as dental, dentition, and dentist, but dent is not used alone to denote a tooth in modern clinical practice.