maxilla
noun pl. maxillae
- in vertebrates, the upper jaw, or a major bone or cartilage of the upper jaw
- 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
See maxilla in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(măk-sĭlˈə)
noun pl. max·il·lae (măk-sĭlˈē) or
max·il·las - Anatomy Either of a pair of bones of the human skull fusing in the midline and forming the upper jaw.
- A homologous bone of the skull in other vertebrates.
- Either of two laterally moving appendages situated behind the mandibles in insects and most other arthropods.
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