tooth

noun

ˈtüth 

plural teeth ˈtēth 

1

a

: one of the hard bony appendages that are borne on the jaws or in many of the lower vertebrates on other bones in the walls of the mouth or pharynx and serve especially for the prehension and mastication of food and as weapons of offense and defense

b

: any of various usually hard and sharp processes especially about the mouth of an invertebrate

2

: a projection resembling or suggesting the tooth of an animal in shape, arrangement, or action

a saw tooth

: such as

a

: any of the regular projections on the circumference or sometimes the face of a wheel that engage with corresponding projections on another wheel especially to transmit force : cog

b

: a small sharp-pointed marginal lobe or process on a plant

3

a

teeth plural : effective means of enforcement

drug laws with teeth

b

: something that injures, tortures, devours, or destroys

jealousy with rankling tooth

—Thomas Gray

4

: taste, liking

5

: a roughness of surface produced by mechanical or artificial means

toothlike

ˈtüth-ˌlīk 

adjective

Illustration of tooth

• A outside of a molar
• 1 crown
• 2 neck
• 3 roots
• B cross section of a molar
• 1 enamel
• 2 dentin
• 3 pulp
• 4 cementum
• 5 gum
• C dentition of adult human (upper) D dentition of adult human (lower)
• 1 incisors
• 2 canines
• 3 bicuspids
• 4 molars

Phrases

in the teeth of

1

: in or into direct contact or collision with

sailing in the teeth of a hurricane

—Current Biography

2

: in direct opposition to

rule had … been imposed by conquest in the teeth of obstinate resistance

—A. J. Toynbee

to the teeth

: fully, completely

armed to the teeth

Examples of tooth in a Sentence

The dentist will have to pull that tooth.

You should brush your teeth every morning and night.

She clenched her teeth in anger.

He has a set of false teeth.

the teeth of a saw

The labor union showed that it has teeth.

Recent Examples on the Web

Just place each strip across the front of your teeth, tucking the edge over the back. —Madison Yauger, People.com, 19 June 2025

Another actor who shall not be named shows up a little later, with bad teeth and a fantastic tracksuit. —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 19 June 2025

People who brush their teeth at night have a significantly lower risk of dying than those who do not brush.23 Additionally, poor oral hygiene can cause gum disease, tooth loss, and health problems like heart disease, according to Dr. Hankenson. —Sherri Gordon, Health, 17 June 2025

The new paper expands on that earlier research by studying chemicals found in the animals’ bones, teeth and tissues, as well as genetic material from their stomach contents. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English tōth; akin to Old High German zand tooth, Latin dent-, dens, Greek odont-, odous

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tooth

• baby tooth
• cheek tooth
• cut a tooth
• deciduous tooth
• egg tooth
• false saber-tooth cat
• fine-tooth comb
• go over/through (something) with a fine-tooth comb
• hound's-tooth
• long in the tooth
• milk tooth
• permanent tooth
• pivot tooth
• primary tooth
• red in tooth and claw
• saber-tooth cat
• saber-tooth tiger
• spike-tooth harrow
• sweet tooth
• the tooth fairy
• tooth and nail
• tooth fairy
• tooth powder
• tooth shell
• wisdom tooth

Rhymes for tooth

• luth
• muth
• sleuth
• sooth
• youth
• bluetooth
• forsooth
• sawtooth
• tolbooth
• uncouth
• untruth
• vermouth

Kids Definition

tooth

noun

ˈtüth 

plural teeth ˈtēth 

1

a

: one of the hard bony structures that are usually located on the jaws of vertebrates and are used for seizing and chewing food and as weapons

b

: any of various usually hard and sharp structures especially around the mouth of an invertebrate

2

a

: something like or suggesting the tooth of an animal in shape, arrangement, or action

the tooth of a saw

b

: one of the projections on the rim of a cogwheel that fit between the projections on another part especially to transmit force : cog

toothless

ˈtüth-ləs

adjective

toothlike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

Medical Definition

tooth

noun

ˈtüth 

plural teeth ˈtēth 

: any of the hard bony appendages that are borne on the jaws and serve especially for the prehension and mastication of food see milk tooth, permanent tooth