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

Etymology

Origin of root canal

First recorded in 1890–95

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

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

It is vital that dental professionals recognize the wider impact of these root canal infections and advocate for early diagnosis and treatment.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 15, 2026

Researchers followed participants for two years after their root canal procedures.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 15, 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