indentation
UK[ˌɪndenˈteɪʃn]US[ˌɪndenˈteɪʃn]
n
A cut or notch in the edge or surface of something.
n
The action of indenting something or the state of being indented.
n
A space left at the beginning of a line of writing or printing to show the start of a new paragraph.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
dent
ation
in
in, into, on, upon
dent
tooth
ation
Etymology
The word 'indentation' originates from the Medieval Latin verb indentare, meaning "to furnish with teeth". This verb itself is built from the Latin prefix in- ("into") and dens ("tooth"). The core logic stems from the visual resemblance between a row of teeth and the jagged, notched edge created by cutting or pressing into a surface. Over time, the meaning expanded from physical notches to include the typographical practice of beginning a line with a blank space, metaphorically seen as a "notch" or recess in the block of text. Thus, the journey from a literal "tooth" to an abstract "space or notch" illustrates a clear semantic shift based on shared visual characteristics.
Analysis
Structure: in + dent + ation
- in: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "in, into, on, upon".
- dent: Latin origin (from dens, dentis meaning "tooth"), acting as the root meaning "tooth" or "tooth-like projection".
- ation: Latin/French origin, a noun-forming suffix indicating an action, process, or result.
Examples
The map showed a deep indentation in the coastline forming a natural harbor.
Proper indentation of code blocks makes computer programs much easier to read and debug.
The contract was signed in duplicate, with an indentation along the edge so the two copies could be perfectly matched.