teething

Everyday

1. The time when a baby's first teeth are growing through the gums, which can be sore. tree →
2. «Teething problems» or «teething troubles» (informal): small problems at the start of something new. tree →

In the lessons

In family life a teething baby is grumpy, dribbles and chews things; parents give teething rings. In everyday and news talk, a new system with teething problems has early hiccups that get fixed. Note: «teethe» (verb, with e) vs «teeth» (noun).

Examples

• The baby is teething, so she cries a lot. tree →
• We bought a teething ring for my little brother. tree →
• Teething babies like to chew on cold things. tree →
• The new website had a few teething problems. tree →
• The school's new lunch system had teething troubles in the first week. tree →
• Teething can make babies' cheeks red. tree →

Note

Spell the verb «teethe» (said with a soft th, as in «breathe»), but the noun «teeth» (hard th, as in «breath»). Babies usually get 20 first (milk) teeth.