Incisors
/ɪnˈsaɪzərz/
nounpluralB1plural
Definition
Incisors are the sharp, flat teeth at the front of your mouth. They help you cut food into smaller pieces when you eat. Most people have eight incisors: four on the top and four on the bottom.
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See It in Action
Front teeth used for cutting food
- •She bit into the sandwich with her incisors.
- •The dentist checked my incisors for chips.
- •Baby incisors usually come in first when children start teething.
In anatomy and biology, the specific type of tooth at the front of the mouth in humans and many animals
- •Rodents have large incisors that grow continuously.
- •The shape of incisors helps animals eat different kinds of food.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "incisors" like "teeth," but specifically the front ones used for cutting, not chewing or grinding
- ✓Picture the sharp, flat teeth you see when someone smiles—these are the incisors, different from the round back teeth
- ✓It's the feeling when you bite into an apple or a sandwich—your incisors do the first cut
- ✓Sounds like "in-SIZE-ers" → imagine these teeth making a clean, precise cut to "size" your food smaller
- ✓Think of a pair of scissors cutting paper—your incisors work like scissors for your food
- ✓NOT like "molars" (big, flat back teeth used for crushing), incisors are sharp and designed for slicing
- ✓NOT like "canines" (pointed teeth next to incisors used for tearing), incisors are flat and thin for cutting
- ✓NOT like "tongue" or "lips"—incisors are hard and part of your teeth, working on food directly
Try Other Words
- •Front teeth: the teeth at the front of the mouth (Use when speaking informally or with children)
- •Cutting teeth: teeth used for cutting food (Use when emphasizing their function)
- •Biting teeth: teeth used to bite (Use in simple explanations about eating)
- •Teeth: general word for all teeth (Use when you do not need to be specific)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "in-" (into) + "cis-" (cut) + "-or" (agent suffix, meaning “one who does”) + "-s" (plural)
- •Etymology: From Latin "incidere," meaning "to cut into," referring to their cutting function
- •Historical development: The word "incisor" has been used since the 1600s in English to describe these front cutting teeth
- •Modern usage: Used in dentistry, biology, and everyday language to describe the front teeth that cut food
Reflect & Connect
•How do incisors help you eat different kinds of food compared to other teeth?
•Can you think of animals whose incisors are very different from human incisors? How do they use them?
Fill in the blanks
1.When you bite an apple, you use your incisors to ___ the fruit into smaller pieces.
2.Incisors are located at the ___ of your mouth, not in the back.
3.Unlike molars, incisors are sharp and flat, so they ___ food instead of crushing it.
4.Baby teeth include incisors, which usually ___ before the other teeth appear.
5.Some animals have very large incisors that ___ continuously, like rodents.
6.Dentists often check incisors for ___ because they are easy to see.
7.Your incisors work together with your tongue and lips to ___ food properly before chewing.