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den·tal

(dĕntl)

adj.

1. Of, relating to, or for the teeth: dental caps.

2. Of, relating to, or intended for dentistry: dental work; dental bills.

3. Linguistics Articulated with the tip of the tongue near or against the upper front teeth: the English dental consonants t and d.

n.
Linguistics

A dental consonant.

[New Latin dentālis, from Latin dēns, dent-, tooth; see dent- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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