premaxilla

noun

pre·max·il·la | \ ˌprē-mak-ˈsi-lə

Definition of premaxilla

: either of a pair of bones of the upper jaw of vertebrates between and in front of the maxillae

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Especially remarkable is the animal’s premaxilla – the bone formed a kind of thick, bony wing which would have helped support a large mass of soft tissues in life. — Brian Switek, WIRED, "From the depths of the North Sea, a new ‘spoon-nosed’ dolphin," 2 Nov. 2010

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

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The first known use of premaxilla was in 1850

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premaxilla

noun

pre·max·il·la | \ ˌprē-mak-ˈsil-ə

plural premaxillae\ -ē

Medical Definition of premaxilla

: either member of a pair of bones of the upper jaw of vertebrates situated between and in front of the maxillae that in humans form the median anterior part of the superior maxillary bones but in most other mammals are distinct and bear the incisor teeth and in birds coalesce to form the principal part of the upper mandible

— called also incisive bone