dentin

American  

[den-tn, -tin] / ˈdɛn tn, -tɪn /

Also dentine

noun

Dentistry.

1. the hard, calcareous tissue, similar to but denser than bone, that forms the major portion of a tooth, surrounds the pulp cavity, and is situated beneath the enamel and cementum.

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dentin Scientific  

/ dĕn′tĭn /

1. The main bony part of a tooth beneath the enamel, surrounding the pulp chamber and root canals.

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dentin Cultural  

1. The hard, bony material beneath the enamel of a tooth. The bulk of a tooth is made up of dentin.

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Other Word Forms

• dentinal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of dentin

First recorded in 1830–40; dent- + -in ²

Explanation

Dentin is a bone-like substance inside your teeth, just under the enamel. Though it's harder than bone, dentin is more porous and flexible than enamel. The dentin in your teeth is protected by the brittle, white enamel, but in return it provides structure to the outer surface of your teeth. While dentin is vulnerable to decay and sensitive to cold, it can also sometimes repair itself. Your teeth are mostly made up of dentin, and fittingly, the word comes from the Latin dens, "tooth."

Example Sentences

Indenting the plane’s body inward along that joint reduced the drag dramatically and resulted in an increase of as much as 25 percent in the planes speed for the same level of power.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Indenting is, however, not necessary, and in modern practice is disused.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 3 "Convention" to "Copyright" by Various

Indenting, above all in poetry, is a feature strongly affecting the beauty of the page.

From The Booklover and His Books by Koopman, Harry Lyman

Indenting the rock-bound coasts are a hundred pouch-shaped harbors such as are but rarely found in the other islands and shores of the American Mediterranean.

From Cuba, Old and New by Robinson, Albert G. (Albert Gardner)

What poet in what cloistered nook, Indenting in what roll of a book His rhymes, can voice the tides of love?

From Helen Redeemed and Other Poems by Hewlett, Maurice Henry