overjet
|oʊ-vər-dʒɛt|
🇺🇸
/ˈoʊvərdʒɛt/
🇬🇧
/ˈəʊvədʒet/
upper teeth project forward
Etymology
'overjet' originates from English, combining the prefix 'over-' (from Old English 'ofer') meaning 'above' or 'beyond', and 'jet' from French 'jet' (from Latin root 'jact-/'jacere') meaning 'a throw' or 'projection'.
'overjet' developed as a descriptive compound (often written historically as 'over-jet') in late 19th to early 20th century English usage in dentistry and orthodontics, and eventually became the established technical term 'overjet'.
Initially, components implied 'a projection or throw over' in a general sense; over time the compound narrowed to the specific dental meaning of 'the horizontal projection of the upper teeth relative to the lower teeth.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the horizontal (anterior-posterior) distance by which the upper front teeth project beyond the lower front teeth; a measurement (often in millimeters) used in dentistry and orthodontics to describe protrusion.
The child had a pronounced overjet that required orthodontic treatment.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/05 14:55