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maxilla

 - 5 dictionary results

max⋅il⋅la

  [mak-sil-uh]
Use maxilla in a Sentence
–noun, plural max⋅il⋅lae  [mak-sil-ee] .
1. a jaw or jawbone, esp. the upper.
2. one of the paired appendages immediately behind the mandibles of arthropods.
Origin:
1670–80; < NL, special use of L maxilla lower jaw, dim. of māla (< *maxlā) upper jaw, cheekbone
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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max·il·la   (māk-sĭl'ə)   
n.   pl. max·il·lae (māk-sĭl'ē) or max·il·las

  1. Anatomy Either of a pair of bones of the human skull fusing in the midline and forming the upper jaw.

  2. A homologous bone of the skull in other vertebrates.

  3. Either of two laterally moving appendages situated behind the mandibles in insects and most other arthropods.


[Latin, jawbone.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

maxilla 
"jaw, jawbone," 1676, from L. maxilla "upper jaw," dim. of mala "jaw, cheekbone."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: max·il·la
Pronunciation: mak-'sil-&
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural max·il·lae /-'sil-(")E,-"I/ or maxillas
1 : JAW 1a
2 a : an upper jaw especially of humansor other mammals in which the bony elements are closely fused b : either of two membrane bone elements of the upper jaw that lie lateral to the premaxillae and that in highervertebrates including humans bear most of the teeth
3 : one of the first or second pair of mouthparts posterior to the mandibles in insects, myriopods, crustaceans and closelyrelated arthropods
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

maxilla max·il·la (māk-sĭl'ə)
n. pl. max·il·las or max·il·lae (māk-sĭl'ē)
Either of a pair of irregularly shaped bones of the skull, fusing in the midline, supporting the upper teeth, and forming part of the eye sockets, hard palate, and nasal cavity; upper jaw.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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