mandible
noun
man·di·ble
ˈman-də-bəl 
1
a
: jaw sense 1a
especially
: a lower jaw consisting of a single bone or of completely fused bones
b
: the lower jaw with its investing soft parts
c
: either the upper or lower segment of the bill of a bird
2
: any of various invertebrate mouthparts serving to hold or bite food materials
especially
: either member of the anterior pair of mouth appendages of an arthropod often forming strong biting jaws
Examples of mandible in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The team identified the genomic variation by extracting DNA from the Well-man’s mandible, the lower part of the jaw.
—
Hannah Peart, NBC News, 28 Oct. 2024
There were 451 bones at the site, and some of these included mandibles with molars, which are good at preserving relatively intact DNA.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024
This also happens to be one of the last Bugs Bunny shorts made before another animator in Clampett’s unit, Robert McKimson, refreshed the bunny’s design: raising him a little taller, lengthening his ears, and widening his mouth to accentuate his murine mandibles.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
The mockup of the insect’s head shows a rough circle adorned with two antennae, a small mandible hidden underneath and eyestalks protruding from the sides.
—Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mandible 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hannah Peart, NBC News, 28 Oct. 2024
There were 451 bones at the site, and some of these included mandibles with molars, which are good at preserving relatively intact DNA.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024
This also happens to be one of the last Bugs Bunny shorts made before another animator in Clampett’s unit, Robert McKimson, refreshed the bunny’s design: raising him a little taller, lengthening his ears, and widening his mouth to accentuate his murine mandibles.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
The mockup of the insect’s head shows a rough circle adorned with two antennae, a small mandible hidden underneath and eyestalks protruding from the sides.
—Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mandible
Dictionary Entries Near mandible
Cite this Entry
“Mandible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandible. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mandible
noun
man·di·ble
ˈman-də-bəl
1
a(1)
: a lower jaw of a vertebrate consisting of a single bone or of bones that are completely united
(2)
: the lower jaw with its surrounding soft parts
b
: either the upper or lower part of the bill of a bird
2
: either of the first pair of mouthparts of some invertebrates and especially arthropods (as an insect or crustacean) that often form biting organs
Medical Definition
mandible
noun
man·di·ble
ˈman-də-bəl
1
a
: jaw sense 1
especially
: jaw sense 1b
b
: the lower jaw with its investing soft parts
2
: any of various invertebrate mouthparts serving to hold or bite food materials
especially
: either member of the anterior pair of mouth appendages of an arthropod often forming strong biting jaws
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share