noun
1.
force; power: By dint of hard work she became head of the company.
2.
a dent.
3.
Archaic. a blow; stroke.
00:10
Dint
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
| to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. |
Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English dynt; cognate with Old Norse dyntr
before 900; Middle English; Old English dynt; cognate with Old Norse dyntr
Related forms
dint·less, adjective
Synonyms
1. effort, strain, exertion, struggle.
1. effort, strain, exertion, struggle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To dint
Collins
World English Dictionary
dint (dɪnt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | by dint of by means or use of: by dint of hard work |
| 2. | archaic a blow or a mark made by a blow |
| —vb | |
| 3. | (tr) to mark with dints |
| —n, —vb | |
| 4. | a variant of dent |
| [Old English dynt; related to Old Norse dyttr blow] | |
| 'dintless | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
dint
O.E. dynt "blow dealt in fighting" (especially by a sword), from P.Gmc. *duntiz. Phrase by dint of ... "by force of, by means of," is early 14c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
By dint of its design, the modern gambling machine diminishes its user's self-control and freedom to choose.
By dint of their herculean effort, and thanks to favorable river conditions, they managed to pull the huge structure free.
It has the sole responsibility for project selection, and all projects must be include dint he long range transportation plan.
By dint of its sheer size, the public-sector pay bill will have to be curbed as part of a strategy to cut overall expenditure.
Idioms & Phrases
Nearby Words
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