blunt teeth

Meanings

1. 1phraseplural

   Teeth with flat or rounded edges rather than sharp points.

   Grammar: Always plural; the singular is 'a blunt tooth'.

   Patterns

   • have blunt teeth
   • blunt teeth of a herbivore
   • wear something into blunt teeth

   Cows and horses have blunt teeth for grinding grass and other plants.

   Years of chewing hard food had left the old dog with blunt teeth.

   A horse's blunt teeth are perfect for crushing grain, not tearing meat.

2. 2phraseplural

   Teeth that have lost their sharpness through age or wear.

   Grammar: Describes a condition, so it usually follows 'have' or 'be left with'.

   Patterns

   • be left with blunt teeth
   • become blunt teeth over time
   • blunt teeth from grinding

   After decades of grinding his jaw at night, he was left with blunt teeth.

   The dentist explained that her blunt teeth were the result of years of wear.

   Chewing on ice can slowly turn sharp edges into blunt teeth.

Common combinations

have blunt teeth

Rabbits do not have blunt teeth like cows; theirs keep growing and stay sharp.

blunt teeth of a herbivore

The blunt teeth of a herbivore are designed for crushing plants.

wear something into blunt teeth

Constant chewing wore the animal's incisors into blunt teeth.

sharp versus blunt teeth

The skull shows both sharp and blunt teeth, suggesting a mixed diet.

Synonyms and how they differ

flat teeth

Very close in meaning, but 'flat' stresses the shape while 'blunt' stresses the lack of a sharp edge.

worn teeth

Focuses on the cause (wear over time) rather than the shape, so it fits older animals or people better.

rounded teeth

Describes a smooth curved edge; 'blunt' can also suggest a thick, dull edge.

Opposites

Word family

blunt adjective

Having a dull edge or tip rather than a sharp one.

bluntly adverb

In a direct, plain way, without trying to be polite.

bluntness noun

The quality of being dull-edged, or of speaking very directly.

Commonly confused: blunt teeth or blunt tooth? blunt teeth or flat teeth?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “blunt teeth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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