mandible

Everyday

1. The mandible is the lower jawbone. tree →
2. Mandibles are the biting mouthparts of insects such as ants and beetles. tree →
3. In birds, the mandibles are the two parts of the beak. tree →

In the lessons

Met in science lessons on skeletons, teeth and insects. It is the scientific word for jaw.

Examples

• The mandible is the only bone in the skull that moves. tree →
• Ants carry leaves in their mandibles. tree →
• The stag beetle has huge mandibles. tree →
• The dentist looked at an X-ray of my mandible. tree →
• A parrot's lower mandible fits inside its upper one. tree →
• The fossil had a strong mandible with sharp teeth. tree →

Note

Plural: mandibles. «Mandible» is the scientific word; in everyday talk, say «jaw». Upper jaw: maxilla.