molar

1 of 3

noun

mo·​lar ˈmō-lər 

: a tooth with a rounded or flattened surface adapted for grinding

specifically : one of the cheek teeth in mammals behind the incisors and canines see tooth illustration

molar

2 of 3

adjective (1)

1

: pulverizing by friction : grinding

2

: of, relating to, or located near the molar teeth

molar

3 of 3

adjective (2)

1

: of or relating to a mole of a substance

the molar volume of a gas

2

: containing one mole of solute in one liter of solution

molarity

mō-ˈla-rə-tē 

-ˈler-ə-tē

noun

Examples of molar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Similar to today’s brine shrimp, the crustaceans used these fine-haired limbs to capture floating food from the water and bring it to the mouth, where molars would then grind down the particles, Mussini explained. —Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 24 July 2025

Experts who reviewed ProPublica’s data wondered if the increase in transfusions might be driven by more women experiencing complications of ectopic or molar pregnancies, rare nonviable pregnancies in which the likelihood of a blood transfusion is much higher than for a spontaneous miscarriage. —Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 1 July 2025

Another patient, a teenager who hadn’t seen a dentist in two years, came in for a checkup with four rotting molars and a painful abscess. —Samantha Korn, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2025

The project’s lead author, doctoral student Kristen Miller, was particularly interested in unknown molar fossils. —Bella Waters, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English molares, plural, from Latin molaris, from molaris of a mill, from mola millstone — more at mill

Adjective (2)

mole entry 5

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (1)

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for molar

• bowler
• choler
• dolor
• polar
• roller
• solar
• soler
• stroller
• troller
• volar
• ambipolar
• areolar

Kids Definition

molar

1 of 2 noun

mo·​lar ˈmō-lər 

: a tooth with a rounded or flattened surface adapted for grinding

especially : one behind the premolars of a mammal

molar

2 of 2 adjective

1

: adapted for grinding

2

: of or relating to a molar

Etymology

Noun

from Latin molaris "a grinding tooth," from mola "millstone" — related to mill entry 1

Word Origin

Food is crushed in the mouth by the grinding of teeth, especially the molars. In much the same manner, grain may be ground into flour between two rough circular millstones. The Latin word for millstone is mola, and it seemed fitting to the English in the late Middle Ages that a tooth which acted like a millstone be called a molar.

Medical Definition

molar

1 of 4 noun

mo·​lar ˈmō-lər 

: a tooth with a rounded or flattened surface adapted for grinding

specifically : one of the mammalian teeth behind the incisors and canines sometimes including the premolars but more exactly restricted to the three posterior pairs in each human jaw on each side which are not preceded by milk teeth

molar

2 of 4 adjective

1

a

: pulverizing by friction

molar teeth

b

: of, relating to, or located near the molar teeth

molar gland

2

: of, relating to, possessing the qualities of, or characterized by a hydatidiform mole

molar pregnancy

molar

3 of 4 adjective

1

: of or relating to a mass of matter as distinguished from the properties or motions of molecules or atoms

2

: of or relating to larger units of behavior especially as relatable to a prior deprivation or motivational pattern of the organism

interest in such molar problems of personality as the ego functions

—R. R. Holt

compare molecular sense 2

molar

4 of 4 adjective

1

: of or relating to a mole of a substance

the molar volume of a gas

2

: containing one mole of solute in one liter of solution