mandibular bone
- noun
- /mænˈdɪbjələr boʊn/
- Specialized
- In some species, the structure of the mandibular bone is crucial for their ability to chew.
Examples
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During the examination, the doctor noted that the mandibular bone was slightly fractured.
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Check out the mandibular bone loss, if I...
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She has a very wide incisive canal and a very short mandibular bone height.
Blog text (32) -
The dentist explained that the mandibular bone supports the lower teeth.
Synonyms
A bone that forms the jaw and lets the mouth open
The bone of the lower jaw that moves to open and close the mouth
The bottom bone in the face that moves up and down to open the mouth
The bone at the bottom of the mouth that moves to open and close it
The lower jawbone in animals attached by a hinge to open and close the mouth
The lower jaw bone that holds the lower teeth and opens the mouth
The main bone that makes the lower jaw in most mammals
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the bone forming the lower jaw' is directly derivable from combining 'mandibular' (connected to the lower jaw) with 'bone' (skeletal tissue). This is a straightforward compositional medical/scientific compound and follows transparent noun–adjective composition common across languages, so a learner who knows both constituents will understand it.
Etymology
Mandibular bone comes from an old Latin word mandibula, from mandere, meaning 'to chew'. So the parts mandibular and bone point to the lower jaw bone used for chewing.