1 mandible | Definition of mandible

mandible

noun
man·​di·​ble | \ ˈman-də-bəl How to pronounce mandible (audio) \

Definition of mandible

1a : jaw sense 1a especially : a lower jaw consisting of a single bone or of completely fused bones
b : the lower jaw with its investing soft parts
c : either the upper or lower segment of the bill of a bird
2 : any of various invertebrate mouthparts serving to hold or bite food materials especially : either member of the anterior pair of mouth appendages of an arthropod often forming strong biting jaws

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Other Words from mandible

mandibular \ man-​ˈdi-​byə-​lər How to pronounce mandibular (audio) \ adjective
mandibulate \ man-​ˈdi-​byə-​lət How to pronounce mandibulate (audio) \ adjective

Examples of mandible in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The museum currently has a right mandible from a right whale, which was found in 1907. — USA TODAY, "Chicago cows, bras for turtles, gold rush: News from around our 50 states," 1 July 2019 The fossil, a mandible for chewing, was first discovered in 1980 by a monk. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "This Tibetan Bone Discovery Rewrites Ancient History," 6 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mandible.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of mandible

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for mandible

Middle English, from Late Latin mandibula, from Latin mandere to chew; probably akin to Greek masasthai to chew

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More Definitions for mandible

mandible

noun

English Language Learners Definition of mandible

: either the upper or lower part of a bird's beak
: a part of an insect's mouth that looks like a jaw and is often used for biting things

mandible

noun
man·​di·​ble | \ ˈman-də-bəl How to pronounce mandible (audio) \

Kids Definition of mandible

1 : a lower jaw often with its soft parts
2 : either the upper or lower part of the bill of a bird
3 : either of a pair of mouth parts of some invertebrates (as an insect) that are usually used for biting

mandible

noun
man·​di·​ble | \ ˈman-də-bəl How to pronounce mandible (audio) \

Medical Definition of mandible

1a : jaw sense 1 especially : jaw sense 1b
b : the lower jaw with its investing soft parts
2 : any of various invertebrate mouthparts serving to hold or bite food materials especially : either member of the anterior pair of mouth appendages of an arthropod often forming strong biting jaws

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More from Merriam-Webster on mandible

Spanish Central: Translation of mandible

Nglish: Translation of mandible for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mandible

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