Plural of tooth; hard, calcified structures in the mouth used for biting and chewing food.
From Old English 'tēth,' plural of 'tōth,' related to German 'Zähne' and Latin 'dens.' The Proto-Indo-European root '*h₃dont-' gave us dental terminology across many languages.
The phrase 'armed to the teeth' comes from pirates who would carry so many weapons they'd clench knives between their teeth during battle. Teeth have always symbolized both vulnerability and aggression - we 'bare our teeth' in threat displays just like other animals.
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