Gomphoses

/ɡɒmˈfoʊsɪz/ noun

Definition

Plural of gomphosis; the fibrous joints or sockets that anchor teeth to the jawbone.

Etymology

From Greek gomphosis, from gomph- (bolt or nail) plus -osis (condition or state), literally 'a bolting or fastening together.'

Kelly Says

Your gomphoses are constantly breaking down and rebuilding thanks to specialized cells called odontoclasts and osteoblasts—essentially, your body remodels your tooth anchors throughout your life!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.