Force, effort, or power, usually used in the phrase 'by dint of' meaning 'through the use of' or 'by means of.'
From Old English 'dynt' meaning 'a blow' or 'a stroke,' related to Old Norse 'dyntr.' The meaning evolved from a physical blow to the more abstract sense of effort or force needed to accomplish something.
Most people only encounter 'dint' in the old-fashioned phrase 'by dint of hard work,' but in medieval times people used it to describe the actual force of a warrior's sword blow—the word literally evolved from violence to inspiration.
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