deciduous tooth
1
3.3
- noun
- /dɪˈsɪdʒuəs tuθ/
- Specialized
:
diente de leche
- This study considered only deciduous teeth.
Examples
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Most kids have a total of 20 deciduous teeth before they get their permanent teeth.
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During childhood, deciduous teeth play an important role in helping with speech development.
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As children grow, their deciduous teeth will eventually be replaced by adult teeth.
Synonyms
14
1.2
A tooth that children have before their adult teeth grow
1
3.1
A child's first tooth that falls out when an adult one grows
1
3.4
One of a child's first teeth that falls out and is replaced by an adult tooth
Antonyms
How Permanent
1
2.7
- Specialized
1
3.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'deciduous' explicitly denotes structures that are shed during development, and combined with 'tooth' it straightforwardly yields the meaning 'a temporary tooth that will be lost and replaced.' This is a literal, compositional combination that a learner who knows both constituents can infer without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase deciduous tooth comes from deciduous, a word meaning 'to fall off', like trees that lose their leaves. That's why it describes a baby tooth that will fall out and be replaced.