Denticule

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small pointed or tooth-shaped structure projecting from a surface, especially in architecture or natural structures
2. A tiny tooth-like protrusion or notch on an edge, commonly found in decorative moldings or biological formations
3. A diminutive pointed projection resembling a small tooth, often used as an ornamental detail in construction or seen in organic forms

Etymology: "Denticule" is a small tooth-like projection, and it arrived in English by a route that runs through French rather than directly from Latin. Its ancestor is Latin "denticulus," a diminutive of "dens," meaning "tooth," so the word is built on the same root that gives English "dental" and "dentist." The Latin diminutive ending shrinks the sense to "little tooth," and that literal picture is still visible in how the term is used for minute toothlike parts of plants, shells and insects. The English form came through French "denticule," which kept the diminutive shape while adapting it to the sound and spelling habits of French. English therefore has a doublet pair here: "denticle" and "denticule" both descend from the same Latin word but reached the language along different paths, leaving two spellings for one idea.

Synonyms: small tooth, denticulation