premolarn.adj.
/ˌpriːˈməʊlə/, U.S. /priˈmoʊlər/ A. n.
Each of the teeth situated at the side of a mammal's jaw between the canine and molar teeth. Cf. bicuspid n.In humans there are two bicuspid premolars in each quadrant in the permanent teeth. There are none in the deciduous or milk teeth, although the name premolars was formerly sometimes applied to the molars present there. Cf. false molar n. at false adj., adv., and n. Additions.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > digestive or excretive organs > digestive organs > mouth > types or spec. teeth > [noun] > molar
wang-tootha1000
molara1350
cheek tooth1395
grinder1398
wangc1405
gumc1420
axle-tooth1483
wall-tooth?a1500
gum-tooth1535
chock-tooth1591
jaw-tooth1601
chaw-tooth1678
mill tooth1731
molendinar1823
true molar1825
false molar1827
premolar1842
bicuspid1876
1842 W. T. Brande Dict. Sci., Lit. & Art 326/2 The teeth..which are analogous to the bicuspids in man are called ‘præmolars’, or spurious molars [in mammalia generally].
1861 R. T. Hulme tr. C. H. Moquin-Tandon Elements Med. Zool. ii. iii. ii. 114 The Civet..is characterized by the possession of three false molars (premolars of Owen).
1872 St. G. Mivart Lessons Elem. Anat. vii. 253 The bicuspid molars of man..are in zootomy termed premolars because they are placed in front of the true molars.
1897 Q. Jrnl. Microsc. Sci. Jan. 441 The conviction that the deciduous premolar..must belong to the same series as the so-called ‘prelacteals’.
a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) I. xxi. 674 The anterior cheek teeth or premolars occur in two sets—‘milk teeth’ and permanent teeth.
1960 D. C. Braungart & R. Buddeke Introd. Animal Biol. (ed. 5) xix. 311 The teeth are of two kinds: those that tear (incisors and canines) and those that grind (molars and pre-molars).
1991 L. Price Rottweilers (BNC) 74 The adult dog has 42 teeth; 12 incisors, 4 fangs or corner teeth, 16 premolars and 10 molars.
B. adj.
Designating a premolar.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > digestive or excretive organs > digestive organs > mouth > types or spec. teeth > [adjective] > molar
molar1626
molary1689
premolar1851
1851 Abstr. Papers Royal Soc. 1843–50 5 917 These observations prove that..the Wart-hogs have deciduous teeth, succeeded vertically by premolar teeth.
1918 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) B. 208 375 It has sharply defined margins, and is beyond question a facet caused by the wear of the first lower premolar tooth.
1995 J. Shreeve Neandertal Enigma (1996) vii. 199 Pine voles and meadow voles match feature to feature in every way except for the shape of a single cusp on one premolar tooth.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
<
n.adj.1842