Dench

Part of speech: adjective, interjection

Definitions

1. To grip or squeeze something firmly with the hand or jaw
2. To hold or clasp something with considerable force and tension
3. To press or hold something compressed with muscular strength

Etymology: The slang "dench" is usually credited to the British rapper Lethal Bizzle, who is said to have coined it around 2010, though that attribution is disputed. The word describes someone who is muscular or impressively toned, and it sits alongside the older slang "hench," which carries the same sense of brawny physical strength. The likeliest relationship is with "hench," which is itself a clipped and reshaped form of the 1990s-era slang "henchman" in the sense of a strong, muscular companion. "Dench" appears to have been formed by changing the initial sound of "hench," a playful pattern that English slang has used many times before. Its exact origin is still uncertain, so the link to "hench" is best read as a close parallel rather than a fully documented chain of descent.