positioner

[ puh-zish-uh-ner ]

noun

1. a person or thing that positions.
2. Orthodontics. a removable device of resilient plastic material worn in the mouth usually during sleep to produce minor adjustments in the position of teeth after straightening appliances have been taken off.

Word History and Origins

Origin of positioner¹

First recorded in 1930–35; position + -er ¹

Example Sentences

With the positioner devices, if an infant rolls onto the stomach, the child's mouth and nose can press up against a bolster or some other part of the device, leading to suffocation.

From New York Times

If you’re using one that has a positioner without taking that extra step, there you go.

From New York Times

The babies had suffocated or become trapped and suffocated between the positioner and the side of a cot or bassinet.

From The Guardian

The immobility promised by a sleep positioner was advertised as a way to prevent the type of infant movement that could cause such a complication.

From US News

In the last 13 years, U.S. officials have received 12 reports of infants who suffocated because of sleep positioner products.

From Reuters