maxilla
pronunciation
How to pronounce maxilla in British English:
UK [mækˈsɪlə]
How to pronounce maxilla in American English:
US [mæk'sɪlə]
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- Noun:
- the upper jawbone in vertebrates; it is fused to the cranium
Word Origin
- maxilla (n.)
- "jaw, jawbone," 1670s, from Latin maxilla "upper jaw," diminutive of mala "jaw, cheekbone." "Maxilla stands to mala as axilla, 'armpit,' stands to ala 'wing'" [Klein]. Related: Maxillar; maxilliform.