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Puncture vs Dent - What's the difference?

puncture | dent |

As nouns the difference between puncture and dent

is that puncture is the act or an instance of puncturing while dent is a shallow deformation in the surface of an object, produced by an impact.

As verbs the difference between puncture and dent

is that puncture is to pierce; to break through; to tear a hole while dent is to impact something, producing a dent.

puncture

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The act or an instance of puncturing.
  • * 2012 , July 15. Richard Williams in Guardian Unlimited, Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track
    • A tough test for even the strongest climber, it was new to the Tour de France this year, but its debut will be remembered for the wrong reasons after one of those spectators scattered carpet tacks on the road and induced around 30 punctures among the group of riders including Bradley Wiggins, the Tour's overall leader, and his chief rivals.
  • A hole, cut, or tear created by a sharp object.
  • * 2001 , , Dutton, ISBN 0525946284, page 340,
    • Dieter's car had suffered a puncture on the RN3 road between Paris and Meaux. A bent nail was stuck in the tire.
  • * Rambler
    • A lion may perish by the puncture of an asp.

    Synonyms

    * flat tyre; (informal US) flat

    Derived terms

    * puncturer

    Verb

  • To pierce; to break through; to tear a hole.
    • The needle punctured the balloon instantly.

    Derived terms

    * aquapuncture * electropuncture * laserpuncture * punctured interval * punctured neighborhood

    dent

    English

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) . More at dint.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A shallow deformation in the surface of an object, produced by an impact.
    • The crash produced a dent in the left side of the car.
  • (by extension, informal) A sudden negative change, such as loss, damage, weakening, consumption or diminution, especially one produced by an external force, event or action
    • That purchase put a bit of a dent in my wallet.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=April 11 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Liverpool 3 - 0 Man City , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Andy Carroll's first goals since his £35m move to Liverpool put a dent in Manchester City's Champions League hopes as they were emphatically swept aside at Anfield.}}

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To impact something, producing a dent.
  • To develop a dent or dents.
    • ''Copper is soft and dents easily.

    Etymology 2

    (etyl), from (etyl) dens, dentis, tooth. See tooth.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (engineering) A tooth, as of a card, a gear wheel, etc.
    • (Knight)

    Anagrams

    * English ergative verbs ----