premaxilla

[pree-mak-sil-uh]

noun, plural pre·max·il·lae

[pree-mak-sil-ee] /ˌpri mækˈsɪl i/. Anatomy, Zoology.

one of a pair of bones of the upper jaw of vertebrates, situated in front of and between the maxillary bones.

Origin of premaxilla

From the New Latin word praemaxilla, dating back to 1865–70. See pre-, maxilla

Related formspre·max·il·lar·y

[pree-mak-suh-ler-ee] /priˈmæk səˌlɛr i/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for premaxilla

Historical Examples of premaxilla

Length of premaxilla less than two-and-a-half times that of the basis cranii.
Extinct Birds
Walter Rothschild
The premaxilla is rudimentary and loosely attached to the maxilla.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10
Various
Beneath the naris the maxilla extends as a broad tapering shelf, the ventral surface of which articulates with the premaxilla.
Two New Pelycosaurs from the Lower Permian of Oklahoma
Richard C. Fox
The premaxilla is very small; the zygomatic arch is imperfect, and does not reach the squamosal behind.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia
Frank Evers Beddard
The small lacrimal bone anterior to the plate articulates with the maxilla and the premaxilla.
Phylogeny of the Waxwings and Allied Birds
M. Dale Arvey

British Dictionary definitions for premaxilla

premaxilla

noun plural -lae (-liː)

either of two bones situated in the upper jaw between the maxillary bones

Derived Formspremaxillary, adjective

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

premaxilla in Medicine

premaxilla

[prē′măk-sĭl′ə]

Either of two bones located in front of and between the maxillary bones in the upper jaw of vertebrates.