détente: [20] English originally acquired this word from French in the 17th century as detent, which denotes a catch that regulates the movement of a clock. French détente, which originally signified a device for releasing a crossbow string, came from the past participle of Old French destendre ‘release’, a compound verb formed from the prefix des- ‘apart’ and tendre ‘stretch’ (related to English tension).
But English-speakers, mistakenly associating it with detain [15] (a verb of completely different origin, via Old French detenir from Latin dētinēre ‘keep back’) completely reversed its meaning, applying to a restraining catch rather than a releasing one. French, the language of diplomacy, re-lent détente to English in the first decade of the 20th century in the sense ‘relaxation of international tension’. => tension
detente (n.)
1908 as a political term, a borrowing of French détente "loosening, slackening" (used in the Middle Ages for the catch of a crossbow), from Vulgar Latin detendita, fem. past participle of Latin detendere "loosen, release," from de- "from, away" (see de-) + tendere "stretch" (see tenet). The reference is to a "relaxing" in a political situation. The French word was earlier borrowed as detent (1680s) "catch which regulates the strike in a clock."
双语例句
1. They have made the first move towards a detente.
他们已经迈出缓和两国关系的第一步。
来自柯林斯例句
2. We can't possibly believe the myth of " detente " now.
我们现在无论怎样也不相信 “ 缓和 ” 的神话了.
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. They talk about detente, but in actuality they are engaged in intense rivalry.
他们嘴里讲缓和, 骨子里却进行激烈的争夺.
来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
4. Many people say that detente is now a dead letter.
很多人说缓和国际紧张局势的论调已是明日黄花.
来自辞典例句
5. He warned against a fake detente that would sap resistance to expansionism.
