Detent

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.


     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [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 [syn: {pawl},
            {click}, {dog}]