Past tense of dint; made a dent or depression in something, or achieved something through force or persistence.
From Old English 'dynt,' related to Old Norse 'dyntr' (blow), from Proto-Germanic *duntiz meaning impact or blow.
The phrase 'by dint of' (meaning 'by means of') comes from this same word—when something made a 'dint' or impression on you, it meant that force or persistence had an effect, so the impact became synonymous with effort itself.
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