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carnassial

(kär nas′ē əl)

adjective

designating or of teeth of a flesh-eating animal specialized for slicing or shearing rather than tearing, esp. the last premolars of the upper jaw and the first molars of the lower jaw

Origin: < Fr carnassier, carnivorous < Prov carnasa, bad flesh (+ pejorative -acea) < carn, flesh < L caro: see carnage

noun

a carnassial tooth

See carnassial in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

Adapted for tearing apart flesh: carnassial teeth.

noun

A tooth adapted for tearing apart flesh, especially one of the last upper premolar or first lower molar teeth in carnivorous mammals.

Origin:

Origin: From French carnassier, carnivorous

Origin: , from Provençal

Origin: , from carnasso, meat in abundance

Origin: , from carn, flesh

Origin: , from Latin carō, carn-; see sker-¹ in Indo-European roots

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