Aglyphodontia

/ˌæɡlɪfəˈdɑnʃə/ noun

Definition

The condition or characteristic of having teeth without grooves or venom channels.

Etymology

From a- (without) + Greek glyphe (groove) + odont (tooth) + -ia (condition). Medical/taxonomic term denoting the state of possessing non-grooved dentition.

Kelly Says

Ancient naturalists studying snake teeth discovered that some species had this special grooved tooth system for delivering venom—and they named everything else by what it *didn't* have, which is why we got aglyphodontia.

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