dentition

[ den-tish-uhn ]

See synonyms for dentition on Thesaurus.com

noun

the makeup of a set of teeth including their kind, number, and arrangement.
the eruption or cutting of the teeth; teething; odontiasis.

Origin of dentition

1605–15; <Latin dentītiōn- (stem of dentītiō), equivalent to dentīt(us) (past participle of dentīre to cut teeth, teethe) + -iōn--ion

Words Nearby dentition

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dentition in a sentence

While the three species boasted distinct dentition and probably had somewhat different diets, it’s not clear what they actually did eat from the shape of their teeth alone, Eberle says.
Meet the cat-sized mammals that thrived after the dinosaurs died | Claire Maldarelli | August 18, 2021 | Popular-Science
The imperfections of the mouth, resulting of a bad dentition, are stricken away by the application of the interchanging Thooth.
Punch, Or The London Charivari, Vol. 156, April 9, 1919 | Various
Such cases are merely instances of irregularity in the time of dentition, and carry with them no particular significance.
The Physical Life of Woman: | Dr. George H Napheys
Parents ought to carefully attend to the childs second dentition.
Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians | William K. David
The generic differences are based upon the comparative lengths of the tail, and upon the dentition.
Mythical Monsters | Charles Gould

Now these correspondences are the more striking when we bear in mind that a similar dentition is often put to very different uses.
On the Genesis of Species | St. George Mivart

British Dictionary definitions for dentition

dentition

/ (dɛnˈtɪʃən) /

noun

the arrangement, type, and number of the teeth in a particular species. Man has a primary dentition of deciduous teeth and a secondary dentition of permanent teeth
teething or the time or process of teething

Origin of dentition

C17: from Latin dentītiō a teething

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

Scientific definitions for dentition

dentition

[ dĕn-tĭsh′ən ]

The type, number, and arrangement of teeth in an animal species. In mammals, dentition consists of several different types of teeth, including incisors, canines, and molars. The dentition of toothed fish and reptiles usually consists of only one kind of tooth.

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