mandible

noun man·di·ble \ ˈman-də-bəl \

Updated on: 26 Apr 2018

Definition of mandible

1 a : jaw 1a; especially : a lower jaw consisting of a single bone or of completely fused bones

b : the lower jaw with its investing soft parts

c : either the upper or lower segment of the bill of a bird

2 : any of various invertebrate mouthparts serving to hold or bite food materials; especially : either member of the anterior pair of mouth appendages of an arthropod often forming strong biting jaws

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mandibular

play \man-ˈdi-byə-lər\ adjective

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mandibulate

play \-lət\ adjective

See mandible defined for English-language learners

See mandible defined for kids

Recent Examples of mandible from the Web

Others, like the trap-jaw ant, use their mandibles to catapult themselves to safety.

— National Geographic, "'Exploding Ant' Rips Itself Apart To Protect Its Own," 19 Apr. 2018
But termites, with their strong, sharp mandibles, aren’t easy prey, and raiders often get limbs bitten off in the fight.

— kiona n. smith, Ars Technica, "In wars with termites, ants rescue and care for their wounded," 14 Feb. 2018
Some were solid and compact, which was not particularly unusual; previous research has shown that this structure was typical of early moths and butterflies, which used mandibles to chomp their food.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "The Oldest Known Butterflies Existed Before Flowers," 11 Jan. 2018
Two species of Myrmoteras trap-jaw ant use a special set of joints and muscles to spring-load their massive mandibles before releasing them to slam shut on prey, according to a new study.

— carrie arnold, National Geographic, "Watch 'Monster' Ants Attack Faster Than the Blink of an Eye," 30 Aug. 2017
The nematodes have even been used to save Florida oranges from demise at the hungry mandibles of the citrus root weevil.

— kyle frischkorn, Smithsonian, "Meet the Supervillain Worm That Gets By With a Little Help From Its Friends," 25 July 2017
The scientists even documented a butterfly stealing a droplet of nectar straight from the mandibles of an ant, the first time this has been documented.

— National Geographic, "Butterfly Thieves Steal From 'Badass' Ants—A First," 15 June 2016
As National Geographic magazine reported in its March 2017 cover story on Vikings, that all changed when Stockholm University bioarchaeologist Anna Kjellström closely examined the warrior’s pelvic bones and mandible for the first time.

— michael greshko, National Geographic, "Famous Viking Warrior Was a Woman, DNA Reveals," 12 Sep. 2017
The skeleton belongs to the Ophthalmosaurus family of ichthyosaurs—huge-eyed creatures with long, thin mandibles that helped them catch fish and squid.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Scientists Unearth Near-Complete Marine Reptile Fossil in India," 27 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mandible.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of mandible

Middle English, from Late Latin mandibula, from Latin mandere to chew; probably akin to Greek masasthai to chew

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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MANDIBLE Defined for English Language Learners

mandible

noun

Definition of mandible for English Language Learners

: either the upper or lower part of a bird's beak
: a part of an insect's mouth that looks like a jaw and is often used for biting things

MANDIBLE Defined for Kids

mandible

noun man·di·ble \ ˈman-də-bəl \

Definition of mandible for Students

1 : a lower jaw often with its soft parts

2 : either the upper or lower part of the bill of a bird

3 : either of a pair of mouth parts of some invertebrates (as an insect) that are usually used for biting

Medical Dictionary

mandible

noun man·di·ble \ ˈman-də-bəl \

medical Definition of mandible

1 a : jaw 1; especially : jaw 1b

b : the lower jaw with its investing soft parts

2 : any of various invertebrate mouthparts serving to hold or bite food materials; especially : either member of the anterior pair of mouth appendages of an arthropod often forming strong biting jaws