Definition of selenodont in English:
selenodont
adjective sɪˈliːnə(ʊ)dɒntsəˈlēnəˌdänt
Zoology 1(of molar teeth) having crescent-shaped ridges on the grinding surfaces, characteristic of ruminant mammals.
Example sentencesExamples
- Cheek teeth are bunodont in some forms, but more commonly selenodont.
- The molars of macropodids are hypsodont, quadritubercular, and either selenodont or lophodont or a combination of the two forms.
- In selenodont molars, the enamel ridges form characteristic crescent shapes.
- That price is the very absence of the selenodont specializations, the most obvious of which is foregut fermentation.
- Correlated with this diet is the evolution of selenodont molar teeth - teeth with crescent-shaped ridges - for more efficient grinding of plants, as seen in this picture of Eocene artiodactyl teeth.
- 1.1 (of a ruminant mammal) having selenodont teeth.
Origin
Late 19th century: from seleno- 'moon-shaped' + Greek odous, odont- 'tooth'.