diastema

American  

[dahy-uh-stee-muh] / ˌdaɪ əˈsti mə /

noun

• diastemata
  plural

1. Cell Biology. the modified protoplasm at the equator of a cell, existing before mitotic division.

2. Dentistry. a space between two teeth, especially a space between a canine and an incisor of the upper jaw into which a lower canine occludes.

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diastema British  

/ ˌdaɪəˈstiːmə /

noun

1. an abnormal space, fissure, or cleft in a bodily organ or part

2. a gap between the teeth

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• diastemata
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of diastema

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin < Greek: interval, equivalent to diastē, variant stem of diastánai to stand apart + -ma noun suffix denoting the result of action

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

diastema

These days Ms. Hutton is just one in a roster of celebrities and runway stars embracing what is known in orthodontic circles as a midline diastema.

From New York Times ● Feb. 15, 2012

The teeth are in a continuous series; no diastema or maxillary step is evident.

From Two New Pelycosaurs from the Lower Permian of Oklahoma by Richard C. Fox

From B. musculus, B. sawrockensis differs in: over-all size of jaw and molar row less; diastema more acutely curved; incisors shorter; anterior median fold of m1 slightly deeper.

From Speciation and Evolution of the Pygmy Mice, Genus Baiomys by Robert L. Packard

Three specimens lack a diastema and 17 specimens have a diastema.

From Morphological Variation in a Population of the Snake, Tantilla gracilis Baird and Girard by Charles J. Cole

There are 12 and 13 maxillary teeth that increase in size posteriorly; these are followed by a short diastema and two larger, solid teeth.

From Systematic Status of the Colubrid Snake, Leptodeira discolor Gunther by William E. Duellman

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