definitions
  • synonyms

incisor

[ in-sahy-zer ]
/ ɪnˈsaɪ zər /
|

noun Dentistry.

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

RELATED WORDS

ivory, snag, tush, tusk, molar, premolar, fang, cuspid, bicuspid, eyetooth, point, canine, tine, dent, grinder, serration, denticle, tooth, carnassial, dentation

Nearby words

incisive canal, incisive foramen, incisive fossa, incisive papilla, incisively, incisor, incisor canal, incisors, incisory, incisure, incite

Origin of incisor

1665–75; < New Latin: literally, cutter, equivalent to Latin incīd(ere) to incise + -tor -tor, with -dt- > -s-
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for incisors

British Dictionary definitions for incisors

incisor

/ (ɪnˈsaɪzə) /

noun

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

Word Origin and History for incisors

incisor

n.

"cutting tooth," 1670s, from Medieval Latin incisor "a cutting tooth," literally "that which cuts into," from Latin incisus, past participle of incidere (see incision). Inscisours as the name of a cutting tool is attested from early 15c.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for incisors

incisor

[ ĭn-sī′zər ]

n.

Any of the four teeth adapted for cutting or gnawing, having a chisel-shaped crown and a single conical root and located in the front part of both jaws in both deciduous and permanent dentitions.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for incisors

incisor

[ ĭn-sī′zər ]

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Culture definitions for incisors

incisors

[ (in-seye-zuhrz) ]

The sharp teeth at the front of the mouth (four on the top and four on the bottom) that are specialized for cutting. (Compare molars.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.