tooth

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   One of the hard white parts in the mouth used for biting and chewing.

   Brushing your teeth helps prevent tooth decay.

2. 2
   noun

   One of the pointed parts on a comb, saw, gear, or similar object.

   Two of the teeth on the saw were broken.

3. 3
   noun

   A strong liking for a certain kind of food, especially sweets.

   I have a sweet tooth and can't resist chocolate.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Tooth is an Old English word descended from an ancient root shared with Latin dens “tooth.” The Latin form is the source of dental and dentist and also appears in trident, literally associated with “three teeth,” and in one sense of indent.

From Middle English tothe, toth, tooth, from Old English tōþ (“tooth”), from Proto-West Germanic *tanþ (“tooth”), from Proto-Germanic *tanþs (“tooth”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃dónts (“tooth”). Related to tusk. Doublet of dent, dens, tind, and tine. Cognates Cognate with Scots tuith (“tooth”), North Frisian Ter, teän, tosch, toske, tuis, tus, tusch, täis (“tooth”), Saterland Frisian Tusk (“tooth”), West Frisian tosk (“tooth”), Bavarian Zåhn (“tooth”), Dutch tand (“tooth”), German Zahn (“tooth”), Limburgish tandj (“tooth”), Luxembourgish Zant (“tooth”), Vilamovian cōn (“tooth”), Yiddish צאָן…

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary