carnassial

[ kahr-nas-ee-uh l ]
/ kɑrˈnæs i əl /
Zoology
SEE SYNONYMS FOR carnassial ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

(of teeth) adapted for shearing flesh.

noun

a carnassial tooth, especially the last upper premolar or the first lower molar tooth of certain carnivores.

Origin of carnassial

1840–50; < French carnassi(er) flesh-eating (< Provençal, equivalent to carnasse augmentative derivative of carn flesh, meat (< Latin carn-, stem of carō) + -ier -ary) + -al1

Words nearby carnassial

carnal knowledge, carnallite, carnap, carnaroli, carnarvon, carnassial, carnatic, carnation, carnauba, carneades, carnegie

Words related to carnassial

ivory, snag, tush, tusk, molar, premolar, fang, cuspid, bicuspid, incisor, eyetooth

Example sentences from the Web for carnassial

British Dictionary definitions for carnassial

carnassial
/ (kɑːˈnæsɪəl) /

adjective

zoology of, relating to, or designating the last upper premolar and first lower molar teeth of carnivores, which have sharp edges for tearing flesh

noun

a carnassial tooth

Word Origin for carnassial

C19: from French carnassier meat-eating, from Provençal, from carnasso abundance of meat, from carn meat, flesh, from Latin carō