Definition

1. Noun:
   • A cut, notch, or recess in a surface or edge: A concave shape or depression made by pressing, cutting, or carving into something.
   • The action of creating such a cut or recess: The process of making something indented.
   • The space left between the margin and the start of a line of text: The blank space at the beginning of a paragraph or line, typically created by pressing the "Tab" key or setting a paragraph format.
   • A series of small pits or depressions: The formation of small hollows on a surface, often due to wear, corrosion, or impact.

Examples of Usage

• As a cut or recess:
  • The indentation on the shelf was perfect for holding the small statue.
  • You can identify the key by the unique indentation on its blade.
• In writing and typography:
  • Use an indentation to signal the start of a new paragraph.
  • The code was hard to read because it had no indentation.
• As a series of small pits:
  • The hail left tiny indentations on the car's roof.
  • Acid corrosion caused indentations in the metal surface.

Advanced Usage

• "Hanging indentation": A style of text formatting where the first line of a paragraph is not indented, but all subsequent lines are. This is often used in bibliographies.
  • The citation style requires a hanging indentation for each reference.
• "Tooth indentation": Refers to the marks or notches left by teeth, either literally or metaphorically in a gear-like mechanism.
  • The gear's movement depends on the precise alignment of its tooth indentations.

Variants and Related Words

• Indent (verb): To start a line of text further from the margin than other lines; to make a recess or notch in something.
  • Indent the first line of each paragraph.
• Indented (adjective): Having a recess, notch, or series of cuts; set in from the margin.
  • The indented coastline provided many natural harbors.
  • An indented list is easier to follow.

Synonyms

• Notch: A V-shaped cut.
• Depression: A sunken or hollow area.
• Recess: An alcove or niche set back from a main surface.
• Dent: A small hollow made by a blow or pressure.

Related Phrases

• Paragraph indentation: The specific formatting of starting a paragraph with a space from the left margin.
  • Check the style guide for the correct paragraph indentation.
• Level of indentation: Refers to the degree or number of steps a line of text is set in, commonly used in outlining and coding to show hierarchy.
  • The nested function requires another level of indentation.

Related Idioms

• (To be) written in the indentations: This is not a standard idiom. However, the concept of indentation is used idiomatically in phrases like "read between the lines," where the physical layout of text (lines, indentations) is metaphorically extended to imply looking for hidden meaning. The indentation itself can be a visual cue for structure and implied relationships.

Noun

1. the act of cutting into an edge with toothlike notches or angular incisions
2. the space left between the margin and the start of an indented line
3. the formation of small pits in a surface as a consequence of corrosion
4. a concave cut into a surface or edge (as in a coastline)