toothbrush
Americannoun
-
toothbrushes
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of toothbrush
Explanation
When you clean your teeth, you use a toothbrush. Most toothbrushes are made of plastic, with soft bristles at one end for scrubbing your teeth. Before the modern toothbrush was invented, people used things like sticks, feathers, bones, and porcupine quills to clean their teeth. Twigs with frayed ends, called "chew sticks," were the toothbrush's precursor, and they are still used in various parts of the world. The earliest toothbrushes were invented in China, and the first patent was awarded in 1857 in the U.S. for a toothbrush with a bone handle and boar's hair bristles.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Adults build little accommodations for themselves all day long; we put the pills beside the toothbrush, buy the pre-cut fruit, turn on a podcast to make folding laundry bearable.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
The toothbrush camera targets interdental cleaning, helping your teeth stay in pristine condition between dentist-office cleanings.
From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026
James Dyson’s next mission: selling consumers on a $499 toothbrush.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
A gadget only a dentist could love — a $499 toothbrush with AI and a camera.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Katie instructed her to wrap Neeley’s nightshirt, toothbrush, a clean towel and a bit of soap in a newspaper, as Neeley was to remain at Evy’s house for the night.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
A “rainbow cart” in each classroom contains necessities such as deodorant, hair care supplies, toothbrushes and toothpaste along with school supplies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Hygiene is essential for everyday items that come into close contact with the body, including clothing, masks, and toothbrushes.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 26, 2026
Khalid, Julia and Benjamin don't have passports, and they've had to pay for things like toothbrushes out of pocket while detained in a hotel in Malabo, the economic capital.
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
Among Caldeira’s memorable returns are a half-built baby carrier, rubber speed bumps and a pack of toothbrushes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 31, 2025
Will also got toothbrushes, toothpaste and a comb.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
