diastema

American  

[dahy-uh-stee-muh] / ˌdaɪ əˈsti mə /

noun

plural

diastemata

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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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

Example Sentences

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

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 Duellman, William E.

From B. brachygnathus, B. kolbi differs in: molar row longer; m3 and jaw larger; diastema longer; masseteric ridge not so far forward; molars more depressed.

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

From B. taylori, B. brachygnathus differs in: incisor more slender, shorter, more pro�dont; diastema shorter.

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

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 Fox, Richard C.