toothpaste

American  

[tooth-peyst] / ˈtuθˌpeɪst /

noun

1. a dentifrice in the form of paste.

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toothpaste British  

/ ˈtuːθˌpeɪst /

noun

1. a paste used for cleaning the teeth, applied with a toothbrush

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Etymology

Origin of toothpaste

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; tooth + paste

Explanation

Toothpaste is the stuff you put on your toothbrush to clean your teeth. Toothpaste polishes your teeth, freshens your breath, and makes you altogether more pleasant to be around. Most toothpaste is a thick paste or gel, a type of dentifrice, or cleaning agent for teeth. Humans have used some version of toothpaste since at least 5000 BCE, when the ancient Egyptians cleaned their teeth with a mixture of crushed eggshells, pumice, and burnt ox hooves. Today's toothpaste is more likely to contain ingredients like fluoride, baking soda, and mint flavoring.

Example Sentences

"Compliance with GLP guidelines was a key element of the project. We didn't just develop a good toothpaste with a new ingredient: we developed a high-quality oral care product of medical-grade standard," says Schilling.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

Ethics are deeply personal, just like who you vote for or what kind of toothpaste you use.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Colgate-Palmolive relies heavily on oral care, including toothpaste, which accounted for 44% of total sales last year.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Last year Mr. Paxton launched an investigation of the makers of Colgate and Crest toothpaste.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Sometimes, when she was running late for school, she’d just eat toothpaste.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi