primary tooth
1
3.1
- noun
- /ˈpraɪˌmɛri tuθ/
:
diente de leche
- By the age of three, most children will have all their primary teeth in place.
Examples
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When a primary tooth falls out, it usually indicates that a permanent tooth is ready to come in.
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You can have a large enough jaw but have lost primary teeth contributing to ectopic eruption...
Blog text (16) -
Children typically have twenty primary teeth that will eventually be replaced by permanent teeth.
Synonyms
14
1.2
A tooth that children have before their adult teeth grow
1
3.4
One of a child's first teeth that falls out and is replaced by an adult tooth
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3.3
A child's baby tooth that falls out and is replaced by an adult tooth
How Permanent
1
2.7
1
3.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a tooth from the first/temporary set' is directly derivable from combining 'primary' (first/initial) with 'tooth'. This is a straightforward adjective+noun compositional pattern with clear cross-linguistic equivalents, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the intended sense.
Etymology
Primary tooth uses primary to mean 'first' and tooth for the small teeth children grow. These are the first little teeth children have; they fall out and are replaced by adult teeth, so the name shows they are the child's first set.