Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
carnassial

carnassial

9.9
A tooth shaped for cutting meat in meat-eating mammals
  • adjective
  • /kɑrˈnæs.i.əl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : carnoso
  • The veterinarian explained that a broken carnassial tooth can be particularly painful for dogs.

Examples

  • The tiger's carnassial teeth are perfectly shaped for cutting through tough meat.

  • Fossil evidence of carnassial teeth suggests this animal was a meat-eater.

  • The lion has strong carnassial teeth.

  • Dogs possess carnassial teeth for tearing meat.

  • Lions have large carnassial teeth that help them rip through the flesh of their prey.

  • The wolf's carnassial molars are perfectly designed for cutting meat.

  • Identifying carnassial teeth in fossils can reveal important information about a species' diet.

Compounds

carnassial tooth
  • Specialized
9.7

A large sharp tooth in meat-eating mammals for cutting meat from bone

Surface Forms

carnassial positive

Morphology

carnassial = carnass + ial

Although built from a Latin root meaning 'flesh' plus the adjectival suffix '-ial', the specific anatomical sense is specialized and the component 'carnass-' is not a productive standalone English base, so the meaning is not predictable for an average learner.

Etymology

The word carnassial comes from the root carn- meaning 'meat', the same root you see in carnivore. It names the special teeth that work like scissors to cut flesh, so carnassial teeth are adapted for eating meat.