Skip to main content
toothing

toothing

4.4
A baby begins to grow small hard parts in the mouth for biting
  • noun
  • /ˈtuːθɪŋ/
translation icon : dentición
  • The baby is going through toothing right now.

Examples

  • During toothing, babies often want to chew on hard objects to relieve discomfort.

  • Special toys are designed to help soothe infants during toothing.

  • The puppy was restless all night because it was toothing and needed comfort.

  • Many parents find that toothing can make their babies irritable and fussy.

  • Is the toothing process painful for infants?

  • Many parents find that toothing can cause their infants to cry more than usual.

  • It's common for infants to experience drooling while they are toothing.

Synonyms

teething
vstoothing
1 2.8

A time when a baby's first teeth come through the gums

applies to infants and young animals, not only human babies
odontiasis
vstoothing
  • Specialized
9.9

A time when a baby's first teeth come through the gums

is a general biological term for the same emergence process
dentition
vstoothing
  • Specialized
7.8

A time when baby teeth come through the gums

is focused on the emergence alone rather than formation or arrangement

Surface Forms

toothing singular
toothings plural

Morphology

toothing = tooth (semi-transparent) = tooth + ing

The meaning is literally connected to tooth + -ing, but the spelling and usage are unusual compared with the more common word teething.

Etymology

Toothing comes from tooth 'a tooth' plus the ending -ing. It simply names the time when a baby is making its first teeth, which is why 'toothing' means the same as 'teething' and can make babies fussy.