axle tooth

noun

A molar tooth; molar.

Meanings

nounaxle tooth (plural axle teeth)

plural axle teeth · alternative axeltooth · alternative assiltooth · alternative axill tooth

  1. Northern EnglandScotlandUKdialectalA molar tooth; molar.

    […] to loose an axill tooth or an eye, the death of some speciall friend: to dream of bloody teeth, the death of the dreamer […]

    1607, Thomas Walkington, The optick glasse of humors
    4 more examples

    Many Women would rather endure the Tooth-ach, than their blackness, which not withstanding the Commonalty regard not: yet such a marcour came upon Metrodorus his sons gums, that both his axle teeth, and also his gums, fell out.

    1657, Jean de Renou, translated by Richard Tomlinson, A medicinal dispensatory, translation of original in French

    Cynodentes, are those Teeth betwixt the Axel Teeth and the Grinders, called Canini, Columellares, and Oculares, Eye-Teeth, as we say.

    1702, Stephen Blancard, The Physical Dictionary

    When the Muscles contract in Length, they swell in Thickness, as may be perceived by laying the Finger upon the Masseter or Muscle of the lower-Jaw, and pressing the Grinders or Axel-teeth together […]

    1738, Henry Bracken, Farriery Improv'd: or, a Compleat treatise upon the art of farriery

    The Lamperts in a horse's mouth are known by every person; they are flaps that many do not understand, they are pieces of loose skin that grow in the wicks of their mouths, adjoining the axel teeth, and when they are eating hay or corn, it is apt to get betwixt them, which makes their mouth fore, and they are afraid of eating.

    1790, J. Cundall, The School of Arts; Or New Book of Useful Knowledge

    Synonyms: grinder, wangtooth

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA molar tooth; molar.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishtothe“tooth”
  2. Old Norsejaxl“a jaw-tooth, grinder”
  3. Middle Englishaxyltothe
  4. Englishaxle tooth

From Middle English axyltothe, of North Germanic origin, from axyl, from Old Norse jaxl (“a jaw-tooth, grinder”) + Middle English tothe (“tooth”). Cognate with Scots assletuith, asseltuith (“molar, axletooth”). Compare also Danish axeltand (“molar, axletooth”), Swedish oxeltand (“molar, axletooth”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

axle tooth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/axle%20tooth

MLA

“axle tooth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/axle%20tooth. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “axle tooth,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/axle%20tooth.

Source: axle tooth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.