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Synonyms

incisor

American  
[in-sahy-zer] / ɪnˈsaɪ zər /

noun

Dentistry.

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

incisor British  
/ ɪnˈsaɪzə /

noun

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

"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
incisor Scientific  
/ ĭn-sī′zər /

  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.

Etymology

Origin of incisor

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

Explanation

An incisor is a sharp front tooth, perfectly shaped and paired for the purpose of gnawing and cutting food. Humans usually have eight incisors, but opossums? They have 18! Did you know you are like the T. rex? You both have incisors! But, there are clear differences. Human incisors are about the size of a small almond and T. rex's were the size of a banana. Either way, these teeth play a crucial role in the initial stages of food processing by aiding in biting and preparing food for further chewing and digestion. Incisors are characterized by their relatively straight edges, making them essential for tasks like tearing into tough foods or biting into fruits and vegetables.

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Vocabulary lists containing incisor

Animals (Zoology) - Middle School

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Animals (Zoology) - High School

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From Science Magazine • Nov. 15, 2024

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

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2024

For many Angelenos, it’s lowriders, gleaming fronts on our canine and incisor teeth, a purse cast in sterling silver.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 18, 2023

The researchers solved the mystery by analyzing a molar and an incisor - detecting the presence of a gene regulating a certain enamel-forming protein to reveal it was a woman.

From Reuters • Jul. 6, 2023

One blew off the edge of an incisor.

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.