indentation

/ˌɪndenˈteɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪndenˈteɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌin-ˌden-ˈtā-shən/ (ame, mw)

indentation — noun

  • indentationsingular
  • indentationsplural

1. a small cut, hole, or hollow area on the surface or edge of something, caused by

1.名詞B1
釋義

a small cut, hole, or hollow area on the surface or edge of something, caused by pressing or hitting it

例句

After dropping the frying pan, Qing noticed a small indentation on the kitchen tile floor.

indentation + on + surface noun

The wooden table still showed the deep indentation where Yuki's grandmother had pressed dough for decades.

collocation: deep indentation

同義詞
  • dent

    more specific to inward depression from impact; 'indentation' also covers cuts and scratches

  • notch

    a narrow, V-shaped cut, especially along an edge

  • groove

    a long, narrow channel or furrow, not a discrete mark

反義詞
  • bump

    an area that sticks outward rather than inward

  • protrusion

    something that pushes out from the surface

文法句型

indentation + in + noun phrase

常見錯誤

❌There was an indentation in my car after the accident' (when the car body is pushed outward).
✅There was a dent in my car after the accident.
💡'indentation' suggests a smaller, often shallower mark; a car-body impact is usually called a 'dent'.

2. a blank area left at the beginning of a line of text, or the process of creating

2.名詞B1
釋義

a blank area left at the beginning of a line of text, or the process of creating such a blank area when writing or typing

例句

The teacher asked the class to leave a two-centimeter indentation before each new paragraph.

indentation + of + measurement

Pablo set his word processor to create an automatic indentation of four spaces on every fresh paragraph.

automatic / left indentation

同義詞
  • indent

    the verb form; as a noun, less common than 'indentation' in formal writing contexts

  • margin

    the blank border around the whole page, not specifically the start-of-line offset

  • tab space

    a specific keyboard-created indentation, more technical

文法句型

indentation + of + amount (spaces/centimeters)

用法筆記

In word-processing software, indentation is typically set automatically for the first line of a paragraph. A 'hanging indent' is a reversed format where the first line extends to the left margin and later lines are indented.

3. a curved inward area along a coastline, cliff edge, or similar boundary, forming

3.名詞B2
釋義

a curved inward area along a coastline, cliff edge, or similar boundary, forming a bay, inlet, or similar shape

例句

Elena studied the map of Chile's coastline, noting every indentation where a fishing port might be sheltered.

The old lighthouse stood at the entrance of a wide indentation that formed a natural harbour for cargo ships.

wide / deep indentation (geography collocations)

同義詞
  • inlet

    narrower — specifically a waterway leading inward from the coast

  • bay

    a larger water body partly enclosed by land; 'indentation' is more general

  • recess

    a cavity or inward curve, often with depth; less common in geography

  • cove

    a small sheltered bay, more picturesque and specific

反義詞
  • headland

    a point of high land that sticks out into the sea

  • cape

    a large headland projecting into a body of water

  • promontory

    a high ridge of land jutting out into the sea

文法句型

indentation + in + geographic noun (coastline, shore, edge)

用法筆記

This sense is most common in geography and cartography contexts. A large indentation is usually called a 'bay' or 'gulf'; 'indentation' covers any inward curve regardless of size.