Word of the Day

: March 25, 2009

edentulous

adjective ee-DEN-chuh-luss

What It Means

: having no teeth : toothless

edentulous in Context

Thanks to improvements in public health and dental care in the 20th century, far fewer Americans are edentulous when they enter their golden years.

Did You Know?

"Edentulous" comes to English directly from the Latin word "edentulus," which in turn comes from the Latin prefix "e-," meaning "missing" or "absent," and the Latin root "dent-," meaning "tooth." This root is at work in many familiar English words that relate to teeth, including "dental," "dentist," and "denture." It is also found in "edentate," a less common word that functions as a noun referring to an order of mammals with few or no teeth (e.g. sloths and armadillos), and as an adjective describing such mammals. "Edentate" is also sometimes used as a synonym of "edentulous."