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Edentulous comes to English directly from the Latin word edentulus, which in turn comes from the Latin prefix e-, meaning "missing" or "absent," and the Latin root dent-, meaning "tooth." This root is at work in many familiar English words that relate to teeth, including "dental," "dentist," and "denture." It is also found in "edentate," a less common word that functions as a noun referring to an order of mammals with few or no teeth (e.g. sloths and armadillos), and as an adjective describing such mammals. "Edentate" is also sometimes used as a synonym of "edentulous."
Examples of edentulous in a Sentence
Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 16 Sep. 2011
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'edentulous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near edentulous
Cite this Entry
“Edentulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/edentulous. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
edentulous
adjective
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