What does teethe mean?
Teethe is a standard English verb meaning to develop or grow teeth, especially during infancy. Parents commonly say that a baby has begun to teethe when the baby's first teeth push through tender gums, often around the age of several months. The word can also be used for young animals, as in a puppy teething on a slipper. Although teethe sometimes appears in informal advice about signs of teething, it is not itself limited to informal contexts; it is fully standard in both British and American English. Its related noun, teething, denotes the process or period rather than the action itself. Teethe is a useful example of how everyday language preserves a direct link between a body development and the vocabulary used to describe it.
verbTo develop or grow teeth, especially during infancy. The word is also used figuratively for the process of developing teeth in a young child.
- To develop or grow teeth, especially as an infant.
"The baby began to teethe and chewed constantly on the edge of her blanket."
"The baby started to teethe around four months."
"By the time the puppy began to teethe, it had already destroyed several pairs of shoes."
Teethe is a tongue-twister of a word: babies begin to teethe when their first teeth are making their way through tender gums.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does teethe come from?
Teethe is derived from the same English dental vocabulary that produced tooth and teeth, whose older forms come from Old English. The related words tusk, dentition, and dental ultimately reflect cognate roots in the Indo-European family associated with teeth. The modern verb developed through the regular formation of a verb from the dental noun, with the dental sense retained in modern usage.
Related word forms
How teethe is actually used
Teethe is standard in both British and American English. It is most often used for babies and young children, although it can also describe an animal developing its teeth. The related noun teething commonly refers to the period or experience of this process.
Easily confused with teethe
Teethe means to develop teeth, whereas teach means to instruct someone or show someone how to do something.