denticle
noun
den·ti·cle ˈden-ti-kəl 
: a conical pointed projection (such as a small tooth)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The denticle record had been previously used to document shark occurrences in deep time. 
Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 1 Sep. 2021 On individual sharks, denticle patterns and sizes can vary. Joanna Klein, National Geographic, 28 July 2020 The shark skin denticles can flex at angles more than 40 degrees from its body—but only in the direction of reversing flow (i.e., from tail to nose). Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2020 But scientists are now concerned that even durable denticles have met their match: ocean acidification. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, 21 Dec. 2019 One study found that shark denticles are responsible for an up to 12 percent increase in swimming speed. Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 19 Dec. 2019 In free-swimming sharks like the great white, denticles account for up to 12 percent of their swimming speed. Matt Simon, Wired, 19 Dec. 2019 So Auerswald and his colleagues decided to simulate the effects of acidification on the denticles of puffadder shysharks (Haploblepharus edwardsii) in the lab. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, 21 Dec. 2019 But the longer the sharks spent bathing in the harsh liquid, the worse off their denticles were. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, 21 Dec. 2019 See More
Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 1 Sep. 2021 On individual sharks, denticle patterns and sizes can vary. Joanna Klein, National Geographic, 28 July 2020 The shark skin denticles can flex at angles more than 40 degrees from its body—but only in the direction of reversing flow (i.e., from tail to nose). Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2020 But scientists are now concerned that even durable denticles have met their match: ocean acidification. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, 21 Dec. 2019 One study found that shark denticles are responsible for an up to 12 percent increase in swimming speed. Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 19 Dec. 2019 In free-swimming sharks like the great white, denticles account for up to 12 percent of their swimming speed. Matt Simon, Wired, 19 Dec. 2019 So Auerswald and his colleagues decided to simulate the effects of acidification on the denticles of puffadder shysharks (Haploblepharus edwardsii) in the lab. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, 21 Dec. 2019 But the longer the sharks spent bathing in the harsh liquid, the worse off their denticles were. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, 21 Dec. 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin denticulus, diminutive of dent-, dens
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
denticle
noun
den·ti·cle ˈdent-i-kəl
: pulp stone