What is the Latin word for tooth?

The usual Latin words for “tooth” are dēns, prīmus, advertō; also genuīnus, māxillāris. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“tooth” in Latin

dēnsa tooth; a tooth, point, spike, prong, tine, fluke, or any tooth-like projection; tooth of envy, envy, ill will prīmusfirst, early; chief, principal; most excellent, eminent; distinguished, noble; the first part of; the entrance, extremit advertōto turn to or towards; to steer or pilot (a ship); to turn the mind to, give attention or draw attention to, attend genuīnusinnate, native, natural; genuine, authentic māxillārisof or pertaining to the jaw; maxillary

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

tooth

dens (the proper word; also figuratively; e.g., of a comb, anchor, rake, etc.). A hollow tooth, dens cavus (general term); dens exesus (rotten): the front teeth, dentes priores, primi, or adversi. (☞ primores, “the first teeth,” Plin., prirnores septimo mense gigni dentes... septimo eosdem decidere anno): the back teeth, dentes intimi or genuini (Marcus Tullius Cic.); maxillares: the side teeth, dentes medii: upper and lower teeth, dentes superiores et inferiores: prominent teeth, dentes exserti (general term); dentes brochi (of animals; in country dialect, an animal that has such teeth, brochus): prominence of teeth, brochitas (Plin.): double teeth, dentes duplices (Marcus Tullius Cic.): eye-teeth, dentes canini: false teeth, dentes emti (Mart.): loose teeth, dentes mobiles (e.g., firmare, Plin.): having or furnished with teeth, dentatus; dentibus instructus: without teeth, edentulus (Plaut.); dentibus carens; edentatus (participially): to have good teeth, bonis dentibus esse: to knock the teeth out of one’s head, malas alicui edentare; dentilegum aliquem facere (comedy): to pull out a tooth, dentem eximere, excipere, extrahere, or evellere (in Juvenaalso excutere): the pulling out or extraction of a tooth, evulsio dentis: to wash the teeth, dentes colluere; teeth are loose, dentes labant; are not loose, are fast, dentes bene haerent; fall out, cadunt, excidunt, or decidunt: a tooth that has fallen out, dens deciduus: teeth come again, dentes recrescunt or renascuntur: the second teeth, dentes renati et immutabiles (Plin.): to get teeth, dentire: to show one’s teeth, dentes restringere: to gnash with the teeth, dentibus frendere, also frendere alone; stridorem facere dentibus: with the teeth, mordicus or morsu (e.g., aliquid auferre): to snatch anything from anybody’s teeth (figuratively), faucibus eripere alicui aliquid: little tooth, denticulus: chattering of the teeth, crepitus dentium: gnashing, stridor dentium.

Figuratively, Of an anchor, dens: of a comb, dens, or better, radius: of a saw, dens. The tooth of time, vetustas (e.g. monumenta vetustas exederat, Curt., 3, 4, 10); or, more poetical, tempus edax rerum (Ov., Met., 15, 234): ☞ but not dens or dentes aevi.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for tooth?: The usual Latin words for “tooth” are dēns, prīmus, advertō; also genuīnus, māxillāris. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.