Mandible - Dictionary Definition and Overview

Mandible : (noun)

1: the lower jawbone in vertebrates; it is hinged to open the mouth [syn: lower jaw, mandibula, mandibular bone, submaxilla, lower jawbone, jawbone, jowl]

Based on WordNet 2.0

Mandible : \Man"di*ble\, n. [L. mandibula, mandibulum, fr. mandere to chew. Cf. Manger.] 1. (Anat.) The bone, or principal bone, of the lower jaw; the inferior maxilla; -- also applied to either the upper or the lower jaw in the beak of birds.

2. (Zo["o]l.) The anterior pair of mouth organs of insects, crustaceaus, and related animals, whether adapted for biting or not. See Illust. of Diptera.

Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

Mandible : Mandible: The mandible is the bone of the lower jaw. The joint where the mandible meets the upper jaw at the temporal bone is called the { temporomandibular joint .

Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)