toothy

Toothy is an adjective describing something that has teeth or tooth-like projections. It is used in both literal senses—describing living beings or objects with visible teeth—and in figurative senses to convey sharpness, ruggedness, or jaggedness.

In biology and veterinary contexts, toothy typically refers to organisms with prominent dentition or to features that resemble teeth. For example, a creature may be described as toothy if its jaws or mouth display large, noticeable teeth, or in a more playful sense, a person may have a toothy grin emphasizing the visibility of their teeth.

In botany and geology, toothy can describe margins or surfaces that are serrated or notched, resembling a row of teeth. Leaves with small, tooth-like projections along their edges may be described as having a toothy margin, and rock faces or fossil structures with jagged, tooth-shaped features can be described using the same term.

In literature and everyday language, toothy appears in figurative expressions such as a toothy grin or a very toothy smile, signaling broad exposure of the teeth and often conveying a bold or somewhat menacing attitude. The term is less formal than toothed but widely understood in descriptive writing.

Etymology and related terms: Toothy is formed from the noun tooth plus the suffix -y, yielding the sense of “having the quality of a tooth.” Related terms include toothed and toothlike. See also serrate and dentition for related concepts.