The decay and destruction of teeth or bone caused by bacterial infection and acid erosion.
From Latin 'caries' meaning decay or rot, possibly related to Sanskrit 'cara' (moving, wasting). The term has been used in medicine since Roman times.
The word 'caries' goes back to ancient Rome, where dentists didn't understand bacteria were causing it—they thought it was a disease of the tooth itself, which is why the name just means 'decay' without explaining why.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.