I.gen. plur. usually dentium, but dentum is approved by Varr. L. L. 7, 38, 67), m. root in Sanscr. dantas, Gr. ὀδούς, Goth. tunthus, Germ. Zahn, and Engl. tooth; cf. edo, Engl. eat, a tooth.
I. Prop.: cui auro dentes juncti escunt, XII. Tab. 10, 9; Plin. 11, 37, 61, § 160 sq.; Cels. 8, 1; Cic. N. D. 2, 54; Isid. 11, 1, 52: “primores,” the front teeth, Plin. 7, 16, 15, § 68; “also called adversi acuti,” Cic. N. D. 2, 54: “praecisores,” Isid. 11, 1, 52; “and in beasts: rapaces,” Veg. Vet. 6, 1, 1: “canini,” the canine teeth, eye-teeth, Varr. R. R. 2, 7, 3; Cels. 8, 1; Plin. 11, 37, 61, § 160; “in horses: columellares,” Varr. R. R. 2, 7, 2; Plin. 11, 37, 61, § 160: “maxillares,” the jaw-teeth, grinders, Cels. 8, 1; called also genuini, Cic. l. l.; “and molares, Isid. l. l. et saep.: dentes scalpere,” Plin. 30, 4, 9, § 27: “fricare,” id. ib.: “scariphare,” id. 28, 11, 49, § 179; cf. id. 30, 3, 8, § 21: “mobiles confirmare,” id. 28, 11, 49, § 178; cf.: “mobiles stabilire,” id. 32, 7, 26, § 80: “eximere,” to extract, Cels. 6, 9; so, “evellere,” Plin. 30, 3, 8, § 25: “extrahere,” id. 32, 7, 26, § 79: “excutere,” Juv. 16, 10 et saep.: “dens Indus,” i. e. the elephant's, Ov. M. 8, 288; hence for ivory, id. ib. 11, 167; “also called dens Libycus,” Prop. 2, 31, 12 (3, 29, 12 M.): “Numida,” Ov. P. 4, 9, 28; “and Erythraeus,” Mart. 13, 100.—
2. Prov.
a. Albis dentibus deridere aliquem, i. e. to laugh heartily at a person (so as to show one's teeth), Plaut. Ep. 3, 3, 48.—
b. Venire sub dentem, to fall into the jaws, under the clutches of, Petr. 58, 6.—
c. Dentem pro dente, tooth for tooth, Vulg. Matt. 5, 38.—
B. Meton. of things resembling a tooth, a tooth, point, spike, prong, tine, fluke, etc.: “aratri,” Col. 2, 4, 6; Verg. G. 2, 423 al.; cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 135 Müll.: (irpicis) acc. to id. ib.: “pectinis,” id. ib.; Tib. 1, 9, 68: (clavi) id. 1, 2, 18: “serrae,” Plin. 16, 43, 83, § 227; Vitr. 1, 5; cf. Ov. M. 8, 246, and 6, 58; “hence, in architecture, the walls indentated like the teeth of a saw, which connected the two main walls,” Vitr. 6, 11: “forcipis,” id. 10, 2: (ancorae) Verg. A. 6, 3; “for falx (vinitorum),” the pruning-hook, id. G. 2, 406 et saep.—
II. Trop., the tooth of envy, envy, ill-will: “more hominum invident, in conviviis rodunt, in circulis vellicant: non illo inimico sed hoc maledico dente carpunt,” Cic. Balb. 26: “invidus,” Hor. Od. 4, 3, 16: “ater,” id. Epod. 6, 15.—
B. Of a destroying power: “leti sub dentibus ipsis,” Lucr. 1, 852; cf. “of time: vitiataque dentibus aevi consumere omnia,” Ov. M. 15, 235; “and of water: aqua dentes habet,” Petr. 42; “of malice: malignitatis dentes vitare,” Val. Max. 4, 7, extr. 2.
