Dentation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The arrangement or formation of teeth, or of toothlike projections and notches, along an edge
2. The pattern of teeth or sawlike notches that forms along the margin of an object or leaf
3. A toothed or notched structure, especially the way small projections are arranged along an edge

Etymology: The core of this word is the Latin "dens," meaning "tooth," which also gave English "dental" and "dentist." Latin "dentatus" meant "toothed," and English adopted that adjective as "dentate," used for things with a toothed edge, such as certain leaves. "Dentation" builds on that adjective with a noun-forming suffix, the same pattern that produces words like "creation" from "create." The word's sense stays close to its root. It describes how teeth are set and arranged, whether in a mouth, a gear, or a saw blade. A sawtooth edge and a row of molars are both "dentations" in this sense, because the word names the toothed pattern itself rather than the tooth.

Synonyms: indentation, serration, toothing