noun
definition
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.
verb
definition
The action of creating a detent mechanism to lock or unlock movement.
Examples of detent in a Sentence
In dropping it dislodges the detent of the reducing slide, and the slide springs forward and reduces the flow of the sugar.
And when the short brush is stopped a rod from the shaft frees a spring detent which keeps the drum in position and tips it over.
The tea is shot out and falls into a receptacle below, and the drum makes a quarter of a revolution, and is again held in position by the detent with an empty compartment at top ready for the next filling.
Invented the cylindrical balance spring and the detached detent escapement (1782 ).
Thomas Earnshaw made further simplifications, including the spring detent escapement which needed no lubrication.