root canal

American  

noun

Dentistry.

• root canals
  plural

1. Also called pulp canal. the root portion of the pulp cavity.

2. Informal. root canal therapy.

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root canal British  

noun

1. the passage in the root of a tooth through which its nerves and blood vessels enter the pulp cavity

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• root canals
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of root canal

First recorded in 1890–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

root canal

For root canal treatment, for example, NHS treatment costs five times less than it does to go privately.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

Studies on root canal infections suggest the two are closely connected.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026

“One car survey showed customers would rather have a root canal than negotiate a car at a dealership,” said Jesse Toprak, a former automotive analyst who now runs OptiCar.AI, an online marketplace for cars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

That can mean someone needing two crowns, root canal work and three filings, for example, would generate the same number of points as someone needing just a single crown.

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026

"A monochrome Jackson Pollock," Jane says, and then tells Tiny, "We gotta bolt. This band is like a root canal sans painkiller."

From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan

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