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more about detent
detent |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Detent \De*tent"\, n. [F. d['e]tente, fr d['e]tendre to unbend, relax; pref. d['e]- (L. dis- or de) + tendre to stretch. See {Distend}.] (Mech.) That which locks or unlocks a movement; a catch, pawl, or dog; especially, in clockwork, the catch which locks and unlocks the wheelwork in striking. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: detent n : a hinged device that fits into a notch of a ratchet to move a wheel forward or prevent it from moving backward [syn: {pawl}, {click}, {dog}]
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