molars

Cultural  

1. The teeth with broad surfaces at the back of the mouth that serve to grind food. Including the wisdom teeth, adults have twelve molars — six on the top and six on the bottom. (Compare incisors and canines.)

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Example Sentences

Researchers in the late 1970s found that after patients had their molars extracted, an IV saline drip provided pain relief through the body’s natural ability to produce endorphins.

From Slate • Jan. 30, 2026

Tamma tiptoes “up climbs with body english and devious footwork”; she clings to fingerholds the size of molars; a fall sees her come “cheesegrating” down a slab.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Paranthropus has long been labeled the "nutcracker" genus, a nickname inspired by its massive jaws, thick tooth enamel, and oversized molars.

From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2026

Resident zoo vet, Charlotte Bentley said the teeth that they operated on were "highly specialised and sharp molars".

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2025

Enlisting the aid of the beaver’s highly capable molars, the badger left him gnawing away at a yew sapling in the orchard while she went off to find an arrow that would fit her brainchild.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques