Middle English Dictionary Entry

tọ̄th n.(1)
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Forms tọ̄th n.(1) Also tothe, toeth, thothe, (N) toht, tuth(e, (late) touth & (in cpds. or surname) -totht, tot(o)-, -tote & (errors) tooh, top; pl. teth(e, teht, teght, tet, teith(e, teit, tieth, theth, (N) teththe & tothes, ten & (early) teoðe, (dat.) toðen, toþan, toþum, (gen.) toða(ne, toðe(ne & (?errors) deth, deð, teȝ, teh, tiez, (errors) tetter, te(d.
Etymology OE tōþ; pl. tēþ, gen. tōþa, dat. tōþum. Pl. ten may be from ON: cp. OI tönn, pl. tenn.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1a.
(a) A tooth of a human, devil, etc.; grim ~, a fierce expression; in teth, between adjacent teeth; wauinge ~, a loose tooth; (b) a human tooth as an organ of speech; teth and tonge, tonge and ~; (c) in proverbs.
Show 35 Quotations
1b.
(a) Appetite, corporeal desire; ?also, consumption, use; a coltes (coltish) ~, youthful desires, a taste for activities typical of youth, esp. sexual relations; drie ~, thirst; swete ~, a taste for finery and delicacies; (b) waxen teth, of a child: to grow; (c) ~ of temptacioun, a malign suggestion.
Show 8 Quotations
2a.
Pl. The set of opposing teeth of the upper and lower jaw; also fig.;—also sg. used coll. [quot. a1420]; bitwixe teth, between opposing teeth.
Show 10 Quotations
2b.
In selected phrases & combs.: (a) amidde (biforen, in) teth, full in (the, one's, someone's) face; biforen teth and tonge, before (one's) face; (b) bitwene teth, of speech: with closed teeth, privately, silently; (c) in maugre of thin teth, against your will, despite your opposition; maugre teth, despite (someone's) opposition; against (one's, someone's) will, under duress; unthank (in) his teth, against his will or intention, despite himself; (d) with nailes and teth, viciously, ferociously; (e) teth igrind, toðene grind (grisbating), grindinge (gnastinge, gris bating, etc.) of teth, the gnashing or grinding of teeth in anger or distress; also, the grinding or chattering of teeth in speech [quot. a1387]; tothes hechelinge, chiveringe of teth, chattering or gnashing of teeth; grinden (gnasten, grunten, etc.) teth, grinden (gnasten, grisbaten, etc.) with teth, grinden (gnasten) with ~, to gnash or grind (one's) teeth in anger or distress; also, clench (one's) teeth in pain [quot. a1450(c1410)]; (f) lien amid-ward (thurgh-oute) teth, to tell a bold-faced lie, lie outright, lie through (one's) teeth; (g) armed to (in-to) the teth, fully equipped for battle, armed to the teeth; (h) eggen teth, maken (waxen) teth on egge, to set (someone's) teeth on edge, affect (someone's) teeth with a sharp or stinging sensation; (i) passen bitwene teth, to be exposed to (someone's) vituperation; (j) biten (lacchen, taken) the bridel with teth, to rebel against some authority or controlling power, do as (one) likes, take the bit in (one's) teeth.
Show 55 Quotations
3.
An animal's tooth;—also coll.; also, a tusk; pl. an animal's teeth; also, the set of opposing teeth of an animal's jaws.
Show 18 Quotations
4.
Pl. The flesh surrounding the teeth, gums.
Show 1 Quotation
5.
In cpds. & combs.: (a) ~ ache (werk) [OE tōþ-ece, tōþ-wærc], ache of teth, pain in a tooth or the teeth, toothache; also, a toothache [quot. c1400]; bollinge of ~ ache, the swelling of the gums associated with a toothache; rage of teth, an acute attack of toothache; (b) ~ (teth) rimes, the flesh surrounding the teeth, gums; (c) axel ~, q.v.; cheke ~ [see cheke n. 1b.(c)]; first teth, the impermanent teeth of youth, baby teeth; fore-teth, q.v.; further teth, the teeth in the front of the mouth; gret ~, a molar; long teth, the canine teeth; nethere teth, the teeth of the lower jaw; over (upper) teth, the teeth of the upper jaw; soukinge teth, baby teeth; wal (wong) ~, a molar [see also wong n.(2) (b)]; (d) ~ drauere, one who extracts teeth; ~ iren, an iron instrument for removing teeth from the jaw, forceps.
Show 33 Quotations
6.
(a) A sharp, toothlike projection on the blade of a saw or grasping device; a prong on a cooking utensil; an interlocking, sawtoothlike projection of bone in a serrate connection between bones; harwe ~, a wooden or metal tine of a harrow; (b) a thorn of a plant, a spine, prickle.
Show 13 Quotations
7.
(a) In plant names: ~ carde, a kind of cress; ?Cardamine enneaphyllos; ?town cress (Lepidium sativum) [cp. mede-cresse, s.v. mede n.(2) (b)]; ~ wort, shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris); houndes ~, a kind of dandelion; liounes ~, the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale); (b) in animal name: ~ of tirauntes, tyrant's tooth, a fabulous beast [see quot.].
Show 6 Quotations
8.
Pl. Error for deth n.
Show 1 Quotation
9.
In surnames.
Show 7 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. tooth.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. toothache.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(c)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. great tooth.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(c)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. nether teeth (pl.).

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(c)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. over teeth (pl.).

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(c)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. upper teeth (pl.).

©2025 Regents of the University of Michigan. For details about this collection's copyright see the MEC copyright statement and the U-M Library Copyright Policy. Data last refreshed Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 12:18:00.