Jump to content

teeth

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: TEETH

English

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle English teth, plural of tothe, from Old English tēþ, nominative plural of tōþ, from earlier *tœ̄þ, from Proto-Germanic *tanþiz, nominative plural of *tanþs, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃dóntes, nominative plural of *h₃dónts.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

teeth

  1. plural of tooth
    Synonyms: chompers, Hampstead Heath, pearly whites, (diminutive) teefies

Noun

[edit]

teeth pl (plural only)

  1. (informal) The ability to be enforced, or to be enforced to any useful effect.
    Synonym: enforceability
    The international community's sanctions against the regime had some teeth to them this time around.

Derived terms

[edit]

Verb

[edit]

teeth (third-person singular simple present teeths, present participle teething, simple past and past participle teethed)

  1. Dated spelling of teethe (to grow teeth).
    • 1943, Herman Niels Bundesen, Our Babies, page 81:
      Thus, a mother should not think that there is something wrong just because her baby teeths, crawls, walks, or talks earlier or later than her neighbor's baby.

See also

[edit]