Dentition
/dɛnˈtɪʃən/noun
The arrangement, development, and condition of teeth in a person or animal.
Did you know?Dentition ultimately traces back to the same ancient Indo-European root as ‘tooth,’ so even the scientific word for your teeth’s pattern carries a prehistoric bite in its bones.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃ed-
“to eat”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*tanþs
“tooth”
Old English
OE
tōþ
“tooth”
Latin
Latin
dēns, dent-
“tooth”
Late Latin
LL
dentitiō
“a teething; the condition of having teeth”
Modern English
English
dentition
“the set, arrangement, or development of teeth”