stent1

 
Pronunciation: /stɛnt/

noun

  • 1 Medicine a splint placed temporarily inside a duct, canal, or blood vessel to aid healing or relieve an obstruction.
  • an impression or cast of a part or body cavity, used to maintain pressure so as to promote healing, especially of a skin graft.
  • 2 [mass noun] (also Stents) trademark a substance used in dentistry for taking impressions of the teeth.

Origin:

late 19th century: from the name of Charles T. Stent (1807–85), English dentist. The sense 'splint' dates from the 1960s