Tooth

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /tuːθ/

Definitions

1. A hard, white structure in the mouth used for biting and chewing food
2. A small, calcified structure found in the jaw that aids in the process of biting, chewing, and grinding food while contributing to the overall dental architecture
3. A mineralized structure located in the mouth that plays a crucial role in the mechanical breakdown of food as well as supporting the oral cavity's health and function

Etymology: The word's most striking feature is how far back it reaches. The Old English "tōþ" belongs to a family that spans Europe, Iran and India: German "Zahn", Dutch "tand", Latin "dēns", Greek "odoús", Persian "dandân" and Sanskrit "danta" all descend from one ancient root, so the same word for the same bite has been spoken for thousands of years across an enormous range of languages. Within English, the word has been fairly stable in form, moving from Old English "tōþ" through Middle English "toth" and "tothe" to its modern spelling. Its relatives in English include "dent", "tine" and "tind", which came into the language by a different route from Latin and French, making them doublets of the native word. The same ancestry also gives "tusk", a close relative whose meaning narrowed to the long tooth of animals such as elephants and walruses.

Synonyms: fang, incisor, molar, canine, cuspid