Definition of TOOTH

tooth

Plural: teeth

Noun

  • A hard, bony structure in the jaw used for chewing.
  • hard bonelike structures in the jaws of vertebrates; used for biting and chewing or for attack and defense
  • something resembling the tooth of an animal
  • toothlike structure in invertebrates found in the mouth or alimentary canal or on a shell
  • a means of enforcement
  • one of a number of uniform projections on a gear
  • A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth of many vertebrate animals, generally used for biting and chewing food.
  • A sharp projection on the blade of a saw or similar implement.
  • A projection on the edge of a gear that meshes with similar projections on adjacent gears, or on the circumference of a cog that engages with a chain.
  • Of a rope, the stickiness when in contact with another rope as in a knot.
  • A projection or point in other parts of the body resembling the tooth of a vertebrate animal.
  • A pointed projection from the margin of a leaf.
  • The rough surface of some kinds of cel or other films that allows better adhesion of artwork.
  • Liking, fondness (compare toothsome).
  • An irreducible component of a comb that intersects the handle in exactly one point, that point being distinct from the unique point of intersection for any other tooth of the comb.

Verb

Verb Forms: toothed, toothing, tooths

  • To furnish or provide with toothlike projections or serrations.
  • To provide or furnish with teeth.
  • To indent; to jag.
  • To lock into each other, like gear wheels.

Examples

  • Every tile in Scrabble has a ’TOOTH’ of strategy, even the small ones.
  • He tried to ’TOOTH’ his defense by blocking all possible openings on the board.
  • I have a sweet tooth: I love sugary treats.
  • Jute has more tooth than polypropylene.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English tothe, toth, tooth, from Old English tōþ (“tooth”), from Proto-West Germanic *tanþ, from Proto-Germanic *tanþs (“tooth”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃dónts (“tooth”). Related to tusk and tine. Doublet of dent, dens, tind, and tine.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots tuth, tuith (“tooth”), North Frisian toth, tos (“tooth”), Dutch tand (“tooth”), Low German Tähn (“tooth”), German Zahn (“tooth”), Danish tand (“tooth”), Swedish tand (“tooth”), Norwegian tann (“tooth”), Icelandic tönn (“tooth”), Welsh dant (“tooth”), Latin dēns (“tooth”), Lithuanian danti̇̀s (“tooth”), Ancient Greek ὀδούς (odoús)/ὀδών (odṓn, “tooth”), Armenian ատամ (atam), Persian دندان (dandân), Sanskrit दत् (dát), दन्त (danta, “tooth”).

Scrabble Score: 8

tooth: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
tooth: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
tooth: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 7

tooth: valid Words With Friends Word