Denture
/ˈdɛn.tʃər/noun
A set of artificial teeth used to replace missing natural teeth.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *dēns* (“tooth”), a root that also gave English *dental*, *dentist*, and *indent*—proof that even everyday medical words can trace back to a very old body-based power vocabulary.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃dónts
“tooth”
Latin
Latin
dēns, dentis
“tooth”
Late Latin
Latin
dentūra
“a set of teeth; tooth arrangement”
17th Century
English
denture
“a natural or artificial set of teeth”
Modern English
English
denture
“an artificial replacement set of teeth”