different between pent vs hent

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?nt/
• Rhymes: -?nt

Etymology 1

From pen +? -t.

Noun

pent (plural pents)

1. Confinement; concealment.

Adjective

pent

1. Confined in a pen, imprisoned.
   • 1885, W.S. Gilbert, The Mikado.

     My object all sublime

     I shall achieve in time —

     To let the punishment fit the crime —

     The punishment fit the crime;

     And make each prisoner pent

     Unwillingly represent

     A source of innocent merriment!

     Of innocent merriment!

Usage notes

Use of bare “pent”, as in the Gilbert quotation above, has become less common over time. (Use of “pent up” or “pent in” remains about as common.)

Related terms

• pent-up

Translations

Verb

pent

1. (obsolete) simple past tense and past participle of pen; alternative form of penned

Etymology 2

Clipping of pentatonic.

Noun

pent (plural pents)

1. (informal, music) A pentatonic scale.

Etymology 3

Clipping of pentacle or pentagram.

Noun

pent (plural pents)

1. (informal, paganism) A pentacle or pentagram.

Anagrams

• ENTP, PETN

Danish

Adjective

pent

1. neuter singular of pen

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

pent

1. neuter singular of pen

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

pent

1. neuter singular of pen

Old French

Verb

pent

1. third-person singular present indicative of pendre

English

Alternative forms

• hente (13th-16th centuries)

Etymology

From Middle English henten (also hynten, hinten > English hint), from Old English hentan (“to pursue, chase after, seize, arrest, grasp”), from Proto-Germanic *hantijan? (“to seize”), related to Old English huntian (“to hunt”), Old High German hunda (“spoils, booty”).

Verb

hent (third-person singular simple present hents, present participle henting, simple past and past participle hent)

1. (obsolete) To take hold of, to grasp.

   • And in the grekynge of the day Sir Gawayne hente his hors wondyrs for to seke.

2. (obsolete) To take away, carry off, apprehend.
3. (obsolete, transitive) To clear; to go beyond.

Anagrams

• Neth, Neth., Then, ethn-, then

Breton

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *h?nt, from Proto-Celtic *sentus, from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to head for, go”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /h??nd/

Noun

hent m (plural hentoù)

1. way, road, path.

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

hent

1. imperative of hente

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /h?nt/ (example of pronunciation)
• Homophone: hendt

Verb

hent

1. imperative of henta

Old Norse

Adjective

hent

1. strong feminine nominative singular of hentr
2. strong neuter nominative/accusative singular of hentr
3. strong neuter nominative/accusative plural of hentr

Westrobothnian

Etymology

Old Norse hentr

Adjective

hent

1. handy, skilful

Synonyms

• tåma

Derived terms

• trehent (“skilful with wood”)