Orthognathic
/ˌɔːr.θəˈɡnæθ.ɪk/noun
Relating to a jaw whose upper and lower teeth or facial profile are relatively straight and properly aligned.
Did you know?Orthognathic comes from Greek words for “straight” and “jaw,” and its specialized modern use helped inspire the medical term orthognathic surgery.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃er-tós
“Straight, upright, or properly arranged; the reconstructed source associated with Greek orthos.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὀρθός (orthos)
“Straight, upright, correct, or right.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γνάθος (gnathos)
“Jaw, especially the jawbone.”
Late Greek / Scientific Latin
Greek/Latin
orthognathia
“The condition or quality of having a straight or properly aligned jaw.”
19th Century
English
orthognathic
“Relating to orthognathia or to a straight, normally aligned jaw.”
Modern English
English
orthognathic
“Used in dentistry, anatomy, and surgery for facial or jaw alignment, especially in orthognathic surgery.”
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