Meanings
plural maxillae · obsolete plural maxillæ · plural maxillas
- Synonym of jaw.
- anatomyAn upper jaw especially of humans and other mammals in which the bony elements are closely fused.
Synonyms: jawbone, maxillary bone
- anatomyEither of the two bones that lie with one on each side of the upper jaw lateral to the premaxilla and that in higher vertebrates bear most of the teeth.
Synonyms: jawbone
- biologyOne of the first or second pair of mouthparts posterior to the mandibles in many arthropods that are used for tasting and manipulating food.
Synonyms: endite
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn upper jaw especially of humans and other mammals in which the bony elements are closely fused.
nounEither of the two bones that lie with one on each side of the upper jaw lateral to the premaxilla and that in higher vertebrates bear most of the teeth.
nounOne of the first or second pair of mouthparts posterior to the mandibles in many arthropods that are used for tasting and manipulating food.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe jaw in vertebrates that is fused to the cranium
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinmāxilla“the jawbone, jaw”
- Englishmaxilla
From Middle English, from Latin māxilla (“the jawbone, jaw”), diminutive of māla (“the cheekbone, jaw”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian горна челюст
- горна челюст (gorna čeljust)bone of upper jaw
Catalan maxil·lar
- maxil·larbone of upper jaw
Chinese Mandarin 上頜骨 /上颌骨
- 上頜骨 /上颌骨bone of upper jaw
Dutch kaakbeen
- kaakbeenbone of upper jaw
Estonian ülalõualuu
- ülalõualuubone of upper jaw
Finnish yläleuanluu
- yläleuanluubone of upper jaw
Greek άνω γνάθος
- άνω γνάθος (áno gnáthos)bone of upper jaw
Hungarian felső állcsont
- felső állcsontbone of upper jaw
Italian mascella
- mascellabone of upper jaw
Polish szczęka
- szczękabone of upper jaw
Portuguese maxila
- maxilabone of upper jaw
Russian верхняя че́люсть
- верхняя че́люсть (verxnjaja čéljustʹ)bone of upper jaw
Scottish Gaelic pìos àrd a' ghuib
- pìos àrd a' ghuibbone of upper jaw
Spanish maxila
- maxilabone of upper jaw
Swedish överkäke, maxill
- överkäkebone of upper jaw
- maxillbone of upper jaw
Tagalog taasihang
- taasihangbone of upper jaw
Turkish maksilla, maxilla
- maksillabone of upper jaw
- maxillabone of upper jaw
- üst çene kemiğibone of upper jaw
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with maxilla
Cite this entry
maxilla. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maxilla
“maxilla.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maxilla. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maxilla,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maxilla.
Source: maxilla on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.