mandible
[ man-duh-buh l ]
/ ˈmæn də bəl /
noun
the bone of the lower jaw.
(in birds)
- the lower part of the bill.
- mandibles, the upper and lower parts of the bill.
(in arthropods) one of the first pair of mouthpart appendages, typically a jawlike biting organ, but styliform or setiform in piercing and sucking species.
Nearby words
Origin of mandible
1375–1425; late Middle English < Late Latin mandibula jaw, equivalent to mandi- (combining form of Latin mandere to chew) + -bula noun suffix of means
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Examples from the Web for mandible
British Dictionary definitions for mandible
mandible
/ (ˈmændɪbəl) /
noun
the lower jawbone in vertebratesSee jaw (def. 1)
either of a pair of mouthparts in insects and other arthropods that are usually used for biting and crushing food
ornithol either the upper or the lower part of the bill, esp the lower part
Derived Forms
mandibular (mænˈdɪbjʊlə), adjectivemandibulate (mænˈdɪbjʊlɪt, -ˌleɪt), noun, adjectiveWord Origin for mandible
C16: via Old French from Late Latin mandibula jaw, from mandere to chew
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Medicine definitions for mandible
mandible
[ măn′də-bəl ]
n.
A U-shaped bone forming the lower jaw, articulating with the temporal bone on either side.submaxilla
Related forms
man•dib′u•lar (-dĭb′yə-lər) adj.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for mandible
mandible
[ măn′də-bəl ]
The lower part of the jaw in vertebrate animals. See more at skeleton.
One of the pincerlike mouthparts of insects and other arthropods.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.