selenodont

[ si-lee-nuh-dont ]

adjective

1. having molar teeth with crowns formed of crescent-shaped cusps.

selenodont

/ sɪˈliːnəˌdɒnt /

adjective

1. (of the teeth of certain mammals) having crescent-shaped ridges on the crowns, as in deer

noun

1. a mammal with selenodont teeth

Other Words From

• se·leno·donty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of selenodont¹

First recorded in 1880–85; selen(o)- + -odont

Word History and Origins

Origin of selenodont¹

C19: from seleno- (moon-shaped) + -odont

Example Sentences

Selenodont, sē-lē′nō-dont, adj. having crescentic ridges on the crown, as molar teeth.

From Project Gutenberg

The cheek-teeth are selenodont, Tragulina. as in the two preceding groups; there are no upper incisors, but there are long, narrow and pointed upper canines, which attain a large size in the males; the lower canines are incisor-like, as in the Pecora, and there are no caniniform premolars in either jaw.

From Project Gutenberg

The upper molars, which may be either selenodont or buno-selenodont, carry five cusps each, instead of the four characteristic of all the preceding groups; and they are all very low-crowned, so as to expose the whole of the valleys between the cusps.

From Project Gutenberg

The most interesting genera are however, the Upper Oligocene and Lower Miocene Gelocus and Prodremotherium, which have perfectly selenodont teeth, and the third and fourth metacarpal and metatarsal bones respectively fused into an imperfect cannon-bone, with the reduction of the lateral metacarpals and metatarsals to mere remnants of their upper and lower extremities.

From Project Gutenberg

In the existing members of the group the cheek-teeth approximate to the bunodont type, although showing signs of being degenerate modifications of the selenodont modification.

From Project Gutenberg