detent : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: detent	by the DICT Development Group
2 results for detent
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
detent n a hinged catch that fits into a notch of a ratchet to move a wheel forward or prevent it from moving backward Synonym(s): pawl, detent, click, dog
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Detent \De*tent"\, n. [F. d[82]tente, fr. d[82]tendre to unbend, relax; pref. d[82]- (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.