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Glite Dictionary
lower jaw

lower jaw

6 2.2
The bottom bone in the face that moves up and down to open the mouth
  • noun
  • /ˈloʊər dʒɔː/
translation icon : mandíbula
  • The mandible, or lower jaw, is strong and wide and rather square-shaped, all features associated with males.
  • upper and lower jaw

The round hit him right in the lower jaw, destroyed his entire jaw and the bullet lodged in in his throat.

Examples

  • A white male with a scar on his lower jaw.

    Trap (2024)

  • The dentist examined the patient and noticed that the lower jaw was misaligned.

  • A wide, heavy lower jaw.

    The Kremlin Letter (1970)

  • His lower jaw is shattered.

    Railroaded! (1947)

  • I can have my mouth closed for hours without ever adjusting the lower jaw or lips.

    Blog text (16)

  • Calhoun's lower jaw still rested against his chest when they were seated.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Callaway's surgeon, Dr. Eric Dierks, fashioned a lower jaw from bone taken from Callaway's leg.

    Blog text (24)

  • A deer grazes by using its lower jaw to tear at the grass.

  • To open the clam easily, he pressed on the lower jaw until it cracked open.

Synonyms

mandible
vslower jaw
  • Specialized
8 6.5

The bone of the lower jaw that moves to open and close the mouth

is the everyday term for that same bottom mouth structure
lower jawbone
vslower jaw
  • Specialized
1 3.0

The bone at the bottom of the mouth that moves to open and close it

is the common general name rather than the scientific label
mandibular bone
vslower jaw
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A bone in animals that forms the lower jaw and lets the mouth open and close

is a more general term rather than this technical label
submaxilla
vslower jaw
  • Archaic
9.9

The lower jawbone in animals attached by a hinge to open and close the mouth

is the general everyday expression rather than this specific term
mandibula
vslower jaw
  • Specialized
9.9

The lower jaw bone that holds the lower teeth and opens the mouth

is the same concept but expressed in the more common wording
dentary
vslower jaw
  • Specialized
9.2

The main bone that makes the lower jaw in most mammals

is the general term covering all vertebrates, not only the main mammal bone

Antonyms

upper jaw
2 2.8

The top part of the jaw that holds the upper teeth

Surface Forms

lower jaw singular
lower jaws plural

Morphology

lower + jaw

The meaning 'the bottom part of the jaw' is directly and compositionally derived from 'lower' (situated below) + 'jaw' (the bony mouth structure), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the referent. This is a straightforward anatomical compound pattern that is cross-linguistically common, making the expression immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

Lower jaw comes from a simple picture: lower means the bottom part and jaw means the bone that opens and closes the mouth. So 'lower jaw' is the bottom part of the jaw that moves to open and close the mouth.