indent

Noun · Verb
US[in-dent]/ˌɪnˈdɛnt/2 syllables
Synonyms: indentationindentionindenturedent

Open English WordNet

Noun (2)

  1. an order for goods to be exported or importedType of order, purchase order
  2. the space left between the margin and the start of an indented lineSynonyms: indentationindentionindentureType of space, blank space

Verb (5)indented, indenting

  1. set in from the margin“Indent the paragraphs of a letter”More general format, arrange
  2. cut or tear along an irregular line so that the parts can later be matched for authentication“indent the documents”More general cut
  3. make a depression into“The bicycle dented my car”Synonyms: dentMore general flex, bendInvolves hit
  4. notch the edge of or make jaggedMore general notchMore specific recess
  5. bind by or as if by indentures, as of an apprentice or servant“an indentured servant”Synonyms: indentureMore general oblige, bind

Related words indentation noun, indention noun, incision noun, dent noun, indenture noun

Word of the day · Nov 9About this word
inexorableadjective

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

In·dent′ transitive verb [past tense & past participle Indented; present participle & verbal noun Indenting.]

Origin: OE. endenten to notch, fit in, OF. endenter, LL. indentare, fr. L. in + dens, dentis, tooth. See Tooth, and cf. Indenture.

1. To notch; to jag; to cut into points like a row of teeth; as, to indent the edge of paper.

2. To dent; to stamp or to press in; to impress; as, indent a smooth surface with a hammer; to indent wax with a stamp.

3. To bind out by indenture or contract; to indenture; to apprentice; as, to indent a young man to a shoemaker; to indent a servant.

4. Printing To begin (a line or lines) at a greater or less distance from the margin; as, to indent the first line of a paragraph one em; to indent the second paragraph two ems more than the first. See Indentation, and Indention.

5. Military To make an order upon; to draw upon, as for military stores. India Thomas Wilhelm

In·dent′ intransitive verb

1. To be cut, notched, or dented.

2. To crook or turn; to wind in and out; to zigzag.

3. To contract; to bargain or covenant. William Shakespeare

To indent and drive bargains with the Almighty.— Robert South
In·dent′ noun

1. A cut or notch in the margin of anything, or a recess like a notch. William Shakespeare

2. A stamp; an impression. obsolete

3. A certificate, or intended certificate, issued by the government of the United States at the close of the Revolution, for the principal or interest of the public debt. D. Ramsay. A. Hamilton.

4. Military A requisition or order for supplies, sent to the commissariat of an army. India Thomas Wilhelm

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

indentation indent

<text, programming> Space and/or tab characters added at the beginning of a line to indicate structure, e.g. indenting a quotation to make it stand out or indenting a block of code controlled by an if statement.

Indentation is important in source code for readability. There are a number of different indent styles. Some programming languages go further and use indentation as the main method to represent block structure to the compiler or interpreter, see off-side rule.

(2008-10-23)

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