Anteriors

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to teeth located at the front of the mouth, specifically including incisors and canines; describing something situated toward the front or leading position in a structure or sequence; indicating prior events or conditions occurring before others in time
2. Denoting the front teeth used for biting and cutting food, primarily incisors and canines; pertaining to elements positioned nearer the front in anatomy or arrangement; relating to earlier occurrences or stages preceding subsequent ones
3. Characterizing the front set of teeth responsible for tearing and slicing; identifying parts placed toward the forward area in a physical or conceptual layout; signifying preceding moments or factors anterior to later developments

Etymology: Anteriors is simply the plural of "anterior," which comes from Latin "anterior," meaning "further forward" or "before," the comparative of "ante" ("before"). The English adjective "anterior" has the sense of being situated at the front, and in anatomy it was applied to the front parts of the body and its organs. The noun use for the front teeth is a dental application of that anatomical sense, based on the idea of teeth lying at the front of the mouth. The plural form is the usual one, since the term refers to the set of incisors and canines together rather than to a single tooth.

Synonyms: front teeth, incisors

Antonyms: posteriors, molars