dint / dint/ • n. 1. an impression or hollow in a surface: the soft dints at the top of a coconut.2. archaic a blow or stroke, typically one made with a weapon in fighting. ∎  force of attack; impact: I perceive you feel the dint of pity.• v. [tr.] mark (a surface) with impressions or hollows: [as adj.] (dinted) the metal was dull and dinted. PHRASES: by dint of by means of: he had gotten to where he was today by dint of sheer hard work.

dint †stroke, blow OE.; force of attack or impact XIV; (by assoc. with dent, indent) mark made by a blow, dent XVI. OE. dynt, reinforced in ME. by the rel. ON. dyntr (dyttr), dynta. Phr. †by dint of sword (XIV–XVIII); by dint (earlier dent XVI) of, by means of XVII.
So dint vb. XIII. — ON. dynta (dytta).