tooth S2 W2 /tuːθ/ BrE AmE noun ( plural teeth /tiːθ/) [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: toth ]
1 . IN MOUTH one of the hard white objects in your mouth that you use to bite and eat food:
Sugar is bad for your teeth.
⇨ ↑ baby tooth , ⇨ canine tooth at ↑ canine 2 (1), ⇨ ↑ eye tooth (2), ↑ milk tooth , ↑ wisdom tooth , ↑ buck teeth , ↑ false teeth , ↑ gap-toothed
2 . ON A TOOL ETC one of the sharp or pointed parts that sticks out from the edge of a comb or ↑ saw
3 . POWER have teeth if a law or an organization has teeth, it has the power to force people to obey it:
We need an Environment Agency that really has teeth.
4 . fight tooth and nail to try with a lot of effort or determination to do something:
We fought tooth and nail to get these plans accepted.
5 . get your teeth into something informal to start to do something with a lot of energy and determination:
I can’t wait to get my teeth into the new course.
6 . in the teeth of something in spite of opposition or danger from something:
Permission for the development was granted in the teeth of opposition from local shopkeepers.
7 . set sb’s teeth on edge if a sound or taste sets your teeth on edge, it gives you an uncomfortable feeling in your mouth:
a horrible scraping sound that set my teeth on edge
⇨ armed to the teeth at ↑ armed (1), ⇨ cut your teeth on something at ↑ cut 1 (23), ⇨ by the skin of your teeth at ↑ skin 1 (9), ⇨ be a kick in the teeth at ↑ kick 2 (5), ⇨ lie through your teeth at ↑ lie 2 (1), ⇨ have a sweet tooth at ↑ sweet 1 (7), ⇨ take the bit between your teeth at ↑ bit 2 (9)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ brush your teeth ( also clean your teeth British English )
I brush my teeth twice a day.
▪ floss your teeth (=clean between your teeth using dental floss)
My dentist said I should floss my teeth more.
▪ have a tooth out British English , have a tooth pulled American English (=have a tooth removed)
He's gone to the dentist to have a tooth out.
▪ lose a tooth (=no longer have it)
Many of the men had lost all their teeth by the age of 40.
▪ extract a tooth (=take it out)
The dentist announced that she would have to extract two teeth.
▪ bare your teeth (=show them, especially in an angry or threatening way)
The dog bared its teeth and snarled.
▪ grit/clench your teeth (=put them firmly together)
He was gritting his teeth against the pain.
▪ grind your teeth ( also gnash your teeth literary ) (=move them against each other because you are angry)
Kate ground her teeth in helpless rage.
▪ sink your teeth into something (=put your teeth into someone's flesh, into food etc)
The dog sank its teeth into the boy's hand.
▪ somebody's teeth chatter (=hit together quickly because someone is cold or afraid)
My teeth began to chatter, and I regretted leaving my jacket behind.
▪ be cutting a tooth (=have one of your first teeth growing)
Poor little Patrick was cutting another tooth and we had hardly had any sleep.
■ adjectives
▪ somebody's front/back teeth
Some of his front teeth were missing.
▪ white/yellow
His teeth were white and even.
▪ sharp
The fish has small but very sharp teeth.
▪ good/perfect
She smiled, showing a mouthful of perfect teeth.
▪ bad/rotten
She felt ashamed of her bad teeth and rarely smiled.
▪ even (=all of the same height )
His teeth were white and even.
▪ crooked
He grinned at me, showing rotten, crooked teeth.
▪ loose
I had a loose tooth.
■ tooth + noun
▪ tooth decay
Brushing regularly helps prevent tooth decay.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say ' wash your teeth '. Say brush your teeth or clean your teeth .