Meaning & use
vomerine teeth
Last updated
UK/ˈvɒməraɪn tiːθ/
US/ˈvɑːməraɪn tiːθ/
Meaning
nounpluralbiology
Small teeth that grow on the vomer, a bone in the roof of the mouth, found in many fish and amphibians.
Grammar: Plural; the singular is vomerine tooth.
Patterns
- vomerine teeth in something
The frog has vomerine teeth near the front of its palate.
The trout's vomerine teeth help it grip slippery prey.
Biologists use the pattern of vomerine teeth to tell the two species apart.
Word forms
| singular | vomerine tooth |
|---|
Common combinations
- patch of vomerine teeth
- The fish has a patch of vomerine teeth behind its upper lip.
- have vomerine teeth
- Many amphibians have vomerine teeth.
- row of vomerine teeth
- A row of vomerine teeth was visible under the microscope.
- absent vomerine teeth
- Absent vomerine teeth distinguish this species.
Synonyms and how they differ
- palatal teeth
- Palatal teeth is a broader term for teeth on any part of the palate, while vomerine teeth sit specifically on the vomer bone.
- palatine teeth
- Palatine teeth are attached to the palatine bones, a neighboring structure to the vomer.
- jaw teeth
- Jaw teeth grow on the jawbones and are the ordinary teeth most people think of.
Word family
- vomer noun
- a thin bone dividing the nasal cavity
- vomerine adjective
- relating to the vomer
- vomerian adjective
- a variant of vomerine
Commonly confused: vomerine teeth or vomit?
vomerine teeth vs vomit
Vomerine looks like vomit but comes from the Latin word for plowshare, the shape of the vomer bone.
Practice
Where are vomerine teeth found?
Choose one answer.
Vomerine teeth grow on the vomer, a bone in the roof of the mouth. They are not ordinary jaw teeth.
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