dental floss

American

noun

a soft, strong, waxed or unwaxed thread, usually made of nylon, for drawing between the teeth to remove food particles and prevent the buildup of plaque.

dental floss British

noun

a soft usually flattened often waxed thread for cleaning the teeth and the spaces between them

"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

Etymology

Origin of dental floss

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

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.

See Examples For:

dental floss

Dyson aims to convince consumers to swap out their analog toothbrushes and dental floss for a $499 machine—as well as a special nonfoaming Dyson toothpaste.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

They’re in dental floss, food packaging, brake fluid, you name it.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2024

The pollutants, which repel water, oil and grease, are used in hundreds of everyday products from dental floss to cookware to firefighting foams.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2024

They’re in makeup, dental floss and menstrual products.

From New York Times ● Apr. 8, 2024

I stuffed the dental floss into my pocket.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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