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maxilla definition

max·illa (mak sil′ə)

noun pl. maxillae -·lae (-ē)

  1. in vertebrates, the upper jaw, or a major bone or cartilage of the upper jaw
  2. in most arthropods, as insects or crabs, one of the first or second pair of accessory jaws or head appendages situated just behind the mandibles

Etymology: L, dim., akin to mala, a jaw

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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