Standard Lemma guide

dentin

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: D EH1 N T AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The hard, dense calcareous material that makes up the bulk of a tooth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

bone (calcified tissue) surrounding the pulp cavity of a tooth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dentine

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bone, os

3

noun

Meaning 3

a calcareous material harder and denser than bone that comprises the bulk of a tooth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dentine

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: animal material

Narrower terms: ivory, tusk

History

Etymology

From French dentine, from Latin dens (“tooth”) + English chemical suffix -in / -ine.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: dentina — material of a tooth
  • Chinese Mandarin: 牙本質 /牙本质 (yáběnzhì) — material of a tooth
  • Czech: zubovina — material of a tooth
  • Finnish: hammasluu — material of a tooth
  • French: dentine — material of a tooth
  • German: Dentin — material of a tooth
  • Greek: οδοντίνη (odontíni) — material of a tooth
  • Hungarian: dentin — material of a tooth
  • Inuktitut: ᑭᒍᑎᐅᑉ ᓴᐅᓂᐅᔭᖓ (kicotiop saonioyanga) — material of a tooth
  • Irish: déidín — material of a tooth
  • Italian: dentina — material of a tooth
  • Northern Kurdish: ac — material of a tooth
  • Māori: matūniho — material of a tooth
  • Polish: zębina — material of a tooth
  • Portuguese: dentina — material of a tooth
  • Russian: дентин (dentin) — material of a tooth
  • Slovak: zubovina — material of a tooth
  • Spanish: dentina — material of a tooth
  • Welsh: dentin — material of a tooth