edental

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   having no teeth, or having very few teeth

   The edental jaws were adapted for swallowing soft food.

2. 2
   adj

   historical zoology: relating to the former mammalian group Edentata, which included sloths, anteaters, and armadillos

   The fossil was initially described as an edental quadruped.

Formed from e-, 'without,' + dental, from Latin dens, dentis, 'tooth.' Nineteenth-century zoologists used edental and edentate for mammals grouped as Edentata, although several members do have teeth and the old classification is no longer accepted.

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