toothpaste

American  

[tooth-peyst] / ˈtuθˌpeɪst /

noun

1. a dentifrice in the form of paste.

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toothpaste British  

/ ˈtuːθˌpeɪst /

noun

1. a paste used for cleaning the teeth, applied with a toothbrush

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Etymology

Origin of toothpaste

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; tooth + paste

Explanation

Toothpaste is the stuff you put on your toothbrush to clean your teeth. Toothpaste polishes your teeth, freshens your breath, and makes you altogether more pleasant to be around. Most toothpaste is a thick paste or gel, a type of dentifrice, or cleaning agent for teeth. Humans have used some version of toothpaste since at least 5000 BCE, when the ancient Egyptians cleaned their teeth with a mixture of crushed eggshells, pumice, and burnt ox hooves. Today's toothpaste is more likely to contain ingredients like fluoride, baking soda, and mint flavoring.

Example Sentences

First, Amazon has to prove that people want to buy their cars not only online, but from the same place they buy toothpaste.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Working closely with Fraunhofer IZI and the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, the team created a toothpaste designed to support the oral microbiome.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

Ethics are deeply personal, just like who you vote for or what kind of toothpaste you use.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Colgate-Palmolive relies heavily on oral care, including toothpaste, which accounted for 44% of total sales last year.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Jessie and Oliver were already there, and Oliver mumbled something with a mouth full of frothy toothpaste.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser