Plural of toothbrush; small brushes with bristles used for cleaning teeth. Modern versions have synthetic bristles and ergonomic handles for oral hygiene.
Compound word from 'tooth' (Old English 'toth') and 'brush' (Old French 'brosse'). The first mass-produced toothbrush was made in England in 1780. Before this, people used twigs, rags, or their fingers to clean teeth.
The toothbrush is a relatively recent invention - most of human history involved cleaning teeth with frayed twigs called 'chew sticks,' some of which had natural antibacterial properties! Electric toothbrushes vibrate at about 31,000 strokes per minute, compared to 300 for manual brushing.
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