toothpick

American  

[tooth-pik] / ˈtuθˌpɪk /

noun

toothpicks plural

1. a small pointed piece of wood, plastic, etc., for removing substances, especially food particles, from between the teeth.

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toothpick British  

/ ˈtuːθˌpɪk /

noun

1. a small sharp sliver of wood, plastic, etc, used for extracting pieces of food from between the teeth

2. a slang word for bowie knife

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• toothpicks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of toothpick

First recorded in 1480–90; tooth + pick ²

Explanation

A toothpick is a device made for cleaning bits of food out of your teeth. Toothpicks are also used to pick up small appetizers or other tidbits. At a fancy party, use toothpicks for eating hors d'oeuvres, not for digging food out of your teeth! Tooth-picking is, in fact, the original intended use of these handy tools. Experts believe that toothpicks were invented long before modern humans evolved—there's evidence that Neanderthals used toothpicks. In the 17th century, toothpicks were a luxury (and sometimes made of silver), but by the early 20th century, factories were mass producing wooden toothpicks for everyone to enjoy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

toothpick toothpicks

Stick a toothpick in the center, serve on a large platter and enjoy.

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026

He recommends a toothpick or one of iFixit’s $15 cleaning kits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 21, 2025

A brown foal with a white stripe on its muzzle teetered on toothpick legs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025

And when a Labrador retriever owned by another company officer gulped down a bagel impaled with a toothpick, he said, most of the resulting $10,5000 surgical bill was covered as well.

From New York Times ● Jun. 7, 2024

My nightly mountains of homework made the Tower of Babel look like a toothpick, and it was only worsened by my late shifts at Finnegan’s.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

“When they come in and say, ‘Wait … I didn’t know you could put up toothpicks going to the ceiling and throw a video through it and make it into a movie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2026

You can also form large meatballs to make this an entree of sorts or form smaller meatballs and serve these on toothpicks if you're having pals over.

From Salon ● Feb. 26, 2024

For decades, steady revenue from oil and gas allowed Algeria to import everything from toothpicks to industrial machinery.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 15, 2024

"They would not say they were 'trapped' but there's no question it's been dangerous. We saw dramatic fire behaviour, with winds ripping up trees by their roots and laying them down like toothpicks."

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2023

Penelope would have much preferred to stay in the nursery, building triremes out of toothpicks with the children until bedtime, but she could hardly refuse Lady Constance.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood