denti-

1. a combining form meaning “tooth,” used in the formation of compound words:

   dentiform.

denti-

combining_form

1. indicating a tooth

   dentine

   dentiform

Word History and Origins

Origin of denti-¹

< Latin, combining form of dēns, stem dent-; tooth

Word History and Origins

Origin of denti-¹

from Latin dēns, dent-

Example Sentences

With 13 cameras and a crew of 50, TWC producer Glenn Diamond and director Dustin Denti punched up a fine game, with production values equal to the networks.

From Los Angeles Times

Samantha Denti of Tom’s River, N.J., said her red 2005 Cobalt lost power three times on the highway, nearly causing accidents as following motorists swerved to avoid hitting her.

From Washington Post

“All of a sudden, my car went from 45 to 0 within seconds,” Denti said.

From Washington Post

“This is a safety issue if there ever was one,” wrote Laura Denti of Toms River, N.J., in a letter both to G.M. customer service and to the safety agency on June 29, 2005, citing three time when her daughter’s new 2005 Cobalt shut down abruptly while in operation.

From New York Times

“I don’t recall them ever responding,” Ms. Denti said in an interview last week.

From New York Times

Words That Use Denti-

What does denti- mean?

Denti- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “tooth.” It is used in some medical and scientific terms, including in dentistry.

Denti- comes from the Latin dēns, meaning “tooth.” Greek words for “tooth” are odṓn, source of the combining forms odonto- and -odont, and odoús, source of the combining form –odus.

What are variants of denti-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, denti- becomes dent-, as in dentin.

A less common variant of denti- is dento-, as in dentoalveolar.

Examples of denti-

One example of a term from anatomy that features the combining form denti- is dentigerous, meaning “having teeth.”

The denti- portion of the word means “tooth,” as we now know. The -gerous portion of the word means “bearing.” So, dentigerous literally translates to “tooth-bearing.”

What are some words that use the combining form denti-?

• denticle (using the equivalent form of denti- in Latin)
• dentiform
• dentifrice (using the equivalent form of denti- in Latin)
• dentilabial
• dentilingual
• dentiparous

What are some other forms that denti- may be commonly confused with?

• dendr-
• dendro-

The word dent, as in “a hollow or depression in a surface,” does not share a root with the combining form denti-. Learn where dent comes from at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The combining form -form means “having the form of”—that is, “shaped” in some way. With that in mind, what does dentiform mean?