premolar

adjective

pre·​mo·​lar (ˌ)prē-ˈmō-lər 

: situated in front of or preceding the molar teeth

especially : being or relating to those teeth of a mammal in front of the true molars and behind the canines when the latter are present

premolar noun

Examples of premolar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For their experiment, the researchers took six two-year-old adult mini pigs and surgically extracted their third incisor and first premolar teeth. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 7 Feb. 2025

Studies of fossil hominins suggest that their sturdy premolar teeth may have been used either to open seeds or chew starchy underground tubers and bulbs. —Marlene Zuk, Discover Magazine, 17 Dec. 2013

Both jaws had a third premolar, or cheek tooth, that’s only present in 2 to 6 percent of all Smilodon specimens. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 June 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

premolar

1 of 2 adjective

pre·​mo·​lar

(ˈ)prē-ˈmō-lər

: located in front of the molar teeth

also : being or relating to the premolars

premolar

2 of 2 noun

: any of the double-pointed grinding teeth which are located between the canines and the true molars and of which there are two on each side of each jaw

Medical Definition

premolar

1 of 2 adjective

pre·​mo·​lar -ˈmō-lər 

: situated in front of or preceding the molar teeth

especially : being or relating to those teeth of a mammal in front of the true molars and behind the canines when the latter are present

premolar

2 of 2 noun

1

: a premolar tooth that in humans is one of two in each side of each jaw

called also bicuspid

2

: a milk tooth that occupies the position later taken by a premolar tooth of the permanent dentition