indentation

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree English indent Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English indentation From indent + -ation.

1. The act of indenting or state of being indented.
2. A notch or recess, in the margin or border of anything.

   “the indentations of a leaf”

   “indentations of the coast”

3. A recess or sharp depression in any surface.
4. The act of beginning a line or series of lines at a little distance within the flush line of the column or page, as in the common way of beginning the first line of a paragraph.

   “The resulting document does not contain the indentation and line breaks found in the original document.”

5. A measure of the distance from the flush line.

   “an indentation of one em”

6. A division unit of a piece of law distinguished by its indentation or by a dash.

   “The explanatory report acknowledges that the result of the rule under the second indentation can appear arbitrary.”