Gomphosis
/ɡɒmˈfəʊ.sɪs/noun
A fibrous joint in which a tooth root is fixed into its bony socket.
Did you know?Ancient Greek gomphos meant both “peg” and “tooth,” reflecting the striking visual analogy between a wooden peg driven into a hole and a tooth anchored in its socket.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gombhos
“Peg, tooth, or projecting object; a reconstructed ancestor of Greek gomphos and related forms.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γόμφος (gomphos)
“A peg, nail, or tooth.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γόμφωσις (gomphōsis)
“A fastening or joining by means of a peg.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
gomphosis
“A peg-like joint or fastening, used in anatomical terminology.”
19th Century
New Latin
gomphosis
“The tooth-in-socket joint in anatomical and dental classification.”
Modern English
English
gomphosis
“A fibrous joint anchoring a tooth in its alveolus, or socket.”
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