What does dogtooth mean?
Dogtooth is a noun referring most directly to a canine tooth — the long, pointed tooth found in dogs and other carnivorous mammals, used for gripping and tearing. By extension it applies to the corresponding tooth in humans, where dentists more often say canine or cuspid, and to any sharp, tooth-shaped projection on machinery or tools. The word also survives in several established compounds: the dogtooth violet, a North American woodland wildflower whose underground corm was thought to resemble a canine tooth, and dogtooth (or dogtooth check), the name given to a distinctive broken-check woven pattern popular in tailoring. In modern English, dogtooth is relatively uncommon as a standalone word, appearing mostly in zoological, dental, or textile contexts. Its meaning is transparent — simply 'dog' plus 'tooth' — making it easy to decode even for readers meeting it for the first time, and its compound uses give it a lasting foothold in both scientific and fashion vocabulary.
nounA pointed canine tooth of a dog or other carnivorous animal. More broadly, any tooth resembling a dog's canine, including a human canine tooth or a sharp projecting part on a gear, tool, or plant.
- A canine tooth of a dog or other carnivorous mammal.
- A human canine tooth; an eyetooth.
- Any sharp, tooth-like projection, such as on a gear wheel or saw.
- (In combination) A design element: the small broken-check 'dogtooth' fabric pattern.
"The wolf bared its teeth, each dogtooth gleaming in the firelight."
"The vet examined the old terrier's worn-down dogteeth with care."
"He chose a bold dogtooth jacket that stood out in the boardroom."
Standard plural follows the irregular plural of 'tooth'.
"The skulls on display still had intact dogteeth."
The houndstooth and dogtooth patterns are close cousins — both named for the jagged shape they share with a dog's pointed canine.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dogtooth
Dogtooth is a straightforward English compound formed from 'dog' and 'tooth', both words of Germanic origin traceable to Old English ('docga' and 'tōth'). The compound arose in Middle English to name the pointed canine tooth characteristic of dogs, later extending by analogy to human canine teeth and similar shapes elsewhere. Its cognates are essentially the Germanic words for dog and tooth themselves rather than borrowings from Latin or Greek, though learned alternatives like 'canine' and 'cuspid' come from Latin roots.
How dogtooth is actually used
Mostly literal when referring to animal or human anatomy; figurative and attributive uses appear chiefly in fixed compounds like 'dogtooth violet' or the textile term 'dogtooth (check)'. Register is neutral but somewhat technical or specialist outside everyday speech.
Easily confused with dogtooth
"Dogtooth" alone refers to a tooth, while "dogtooth violet" is a spring wildflower (Erythronium) whose corm supposedly resembles a canine tooth.