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Synonyms

caries

American  
[kair-eez, -ee-eez] / ˈkɛər iz, -iˌiz /

noun

plural

caries

  1. decay, as of bone or of plant tissue.

  2. dental caries.

caries British  
/ ˈkɛəriːz /

noun

  1. progressive decay of a bone or a tooth

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
caries Scientific  
/ kâr′ēz /

plural

caries

  1. Decay of a bone or tooth. Dental plaque formed by bacteria initiates a progressive process of decay that, if left unchecked, leads to tooth loss.

Etymology

Origin of caries

First recorded in 1625–35, caries is from the Latin word cariēs decay

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Of the adults' teeth, 13% were affected by caries -- often at the roots.

From Science Daily • Dec. 14, 2023

Among the caries-related parameters, root canal fillings were associated with 47, inadequate root canal fillings with 27, and caries lesions with 8 metabolic measures.

From Science Daily • Nov. 16, 2023

The capsule caries a precious cargo - a handful of dust grabbed from asteroid Bennu, a mountain-sized space rock that promises to inform the most profound of questions: Where do we come from?

From BBC • Sep. 21, 2023

Cavities, or caries, are the most common chronic disease in kids – five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than environmental allergies, despite being preventable.

From Salon • Oct. 16, 2022

In the best known species, Tilletia caries, they constitute the “bunt” of wheat.

From Fungi: Their Nature and Uses by Cooke, M. C. (Mordecai Cubitt)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.