edentate
|e-den-tate|
/ɪˈdɛnteɪt/
without teeth
Etymology
'edentate' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'Edentata', where the prefix 'e-' (from Latin 'ē-' or variant of 'ex-') meant 'without' and Latin root 'dens'/'dent-' meant 'tooth'.
'edentate' changed from Latin 'edentatus' (meaning 'toothless') into New Latin taxonomic usage 'Edentata', and eventually entered modern English as 'edentate' through scientific Latin usage.
Initially, it meant 'without teeth' in Latin; over time the term retained that literal meaning and was extended in scientific contexts to name a group of toothless or reduced-tooth mammals ('Edentata').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a member of the former taxonomic order Edentata (e.g., anteaters, sloths, some armadillos) or, more generally, an animal without teeth.
Early naturalists referred to anteaters as edentates because of their lack of teeth.
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Adjective 1
lacking teeth; toothless.
The fossil skull was edentate, showing clear adaptations to a toothless diet.
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Last updated: 2025/09/05 10:25