incisor

[in-sahy-zer]

noun

Dentistry.

1. any of the four anterior teeth in each jaw, used for cutting and gnawing.

incisor

/ ɪnˈsaɪzə /

noun

1. a chisel-edged tooth at the front of the mouth. In man there are four in each jaw

incisor

1. A sharp-edged tooth in mammals that is adapted for cutting or gnawing. The incisors are located in the front of the mouth between the canine teeth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of incisor¹

1665–75; < New Latin: literally, cutter, equivalent to Latin incīd ( ere ) to incise + -tor -tor, with -dt- > -s-

Example Sentences

And they have tiny, mostly useless little eyes, no ears, and a pair of huge incisors like a mastodon's tusks.

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Based on the emergence of its baby incisor teeth, researchers estimate the cub was about 3 weeks old when it died.

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To learn more about the composition of rodent tooth enamel, Vesna Srot and colleagues captured high-resolution images of incisor specimens from several species.

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Their large mouths, which can open up to 180 degrees, reveal large canines and incisors used primarily for defense.

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When the singer and songwriter Adrianne Lenker was 21, she was involved in a bike accident that knocked out one of her incisors.

Read more on New York Times

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