What does "teeth" mean?

1. (plural of tooth) the hard, white objects in your mouth that you use for biting and chewing food. 2. (power to enforce) the power or ability to make sure a law or rule is followed.

How do you use "teeth"?

Irregular plural of 'tooth'. Usually used with the verb 'give' or 'have'.

Is it correct to say "I need to brush my tooths."?

No — say "I need to brush my teeth.". Teeth is an irregular plural; do not add 's' to the end.

teeth

US //ˈtiθ// UK //tˈiːθ// teeth

1 plural of tooth (n.)
A1 Beginner

the hard, white objects in your mouth that you use for biting and chewing food.

the plural form of tooth; the hard, calcified structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates used for breakdown of food.

Example

You should brush your teeth at least twice a day to keep them healthy.

Example

The dentist noted that the patient's teeth showed signs of significant wear, likely caused by grinding them during sleep.

Usage

Irregular plural of 'tooth'.

Pitfall

I need to brush my tooths.

I need to brush my teeth.

Teeth is an irregular plural; do not add 's' to the end.
2 power to enforce (n.)
C1 Advanced Informal

the power or ability to make sure a law or rule is followed.

the capacity for effective enforcement or the power to produce a desired effect, typically regarding legislation or contracts.

Example

The new environmental law has no teeth because there are no fines for breaking it.

Example

Critics argued that the regulatory body lacked the teeth necessary to penalise multinational corporations for tax avoidance.

Usage

Usually used with the verb 'give' or 'have'.
- weakness
- ineffectiveness

Origin

From Middle English teth, plural of tothe, from Old English tēþ, nominative plural of tōþ, from earlier tœ̄þ, from Proto-Germanic tanþiz, nominative plural of tanþs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃dóntes, nominative plural of *h₃dónts.

Idioms16 entries