mandible
n. countable C1 Advanced US //ˈmændəbəɫ// UK //mˈændəbəl// mandible
n. the lower jaw of a person or animal. It is the part of the face that moves when you open your mouth to speak or eat.
n. the lower jawbone of a vertebrate, including humans. In invertebrates, it refers to the first pair of mouthparts used for biting or chewing.
The dentist checked the alignment of my mandible.
A fractured mandible can make it difficult to speak or eat solid food until the bone heals.
The fossil record indicates that the evolution of a more robust mandible allowed early hominins to process tougher plant materials, supporting a shift in dietary habits.
From late Middle English, from Late Latin mandibula (“a jaw”), from mandō (“to chew, masticate”) + -bula (instrument noun suffix).