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Detent vs Dement - What's the difference?

detent | dement |

As nouns the difference between detent and dement

is that detent is 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 while dement is one who suffers from dementia, who is insane.

As verbs the difference between detent and dement

is that detent is the action of creating a detent mechanism to lock or unlock movement while dement is .

As an adjective dement is

(about a person) demented, insane, lunatic.

detent

English

Noun

(wikipedia detent) (en noun)
  • 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.
  • * 1972 , Mayer et al., United States Patent 3760640 , abstract:
  • 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.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • The action of creating a detent mechanism to lock or unlock movement.
  • Anagrams

    * *

    dement

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) insane, demented
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An insane person, or one afflicted with dementia
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To drive mad; to craze
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