Inciser

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sharp instrument used for cutting or engraving lines into a surface ; a front tooth in the jaw adapted for biting and slicing food
2. An implement with a keen edge designed to make incisions or carve marks ; one of the sharp front teeth that bite off pieces of food
3. A cutting tool that scores or engraves a surface ; a chisel-like front tooth that severs food when the mouth closes

Etymology: Its root is the Latin verb "incidere," meaning "to cut into," built from "in-" ("into") and "caedere" ("to cut"). The same root gives English "incision," a deliberate cut made into a surface or body. The suffix "-er" turns the verb into a noun for the agent, so an inciser is a person or tool that cuts into something. It is less common than its close relative "incisor," the name for the sharp front teeth, which comes from Latin "dens incisivus," literally "cutting tooth." Both words share one root, so the teeth are named for the action of cutting.

Synonyms: cutter, blade