Meanings
noundry socket (uncountable)
- uncountabledentistryAn inflammation, usually acutely painful, of the alveolar bone following extraction of a tooth.
The severe pain of a "dry socket" after tooth extraction can be relieved by injections of vitamin B₁ (thiamine hydrochloride) Dr. Joseph P. Osterloh, of San Francisco, reports.
1942 August 8, “Vitamin B Relieves Pain After Tooth Extraction”, in The Science News-Letter, volume 42, number 6, page 89
Synonyms & antonyms
nouninflammation in the socket of a tooth; sometimes occurs after a tooth is extracted and a blood clot fails to form
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Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 干槽症
- 干槽症 (gān cáo zhèng)inflammation of the alveolar bone
Czech suché lůžko
- suché lůžkoinflammation of the alveolar bone
Spanish alveolitis seca
- alveolitis secainflammation of the alveolar bone
Cite this entry
APA
dry socket. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dry%20socket
MLA
“dry socket.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dry%20socket. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dry socket,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dry%20socket.
Source: dry socket on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.