De‐tent″ (?), n. [F. détente, fr. détendre to unbend, relax; pref. dé- (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.
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Webster's Dictionary 1913
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, C. & G. Merriam Co., 1913.