megalodontia

English

Alternative forms

• megodontia (rare)

Etymology

megal- + -odontia

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: mĕ'gəlōdŏnʹtĭə, IPA: /ˌmɛgələʊˈdɒntɪə/, X-SAMPA: /%mEg@l@U"dQntI@/

Noun

megalodontia (uncountable)

1. The condition of having proportionately oversized teeth for the jaw in which they are set.
   • 1943, Academy of Medicine of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Journal of Medicine (Academy Journal Pub. Co.), volume 24, page 247

     Doubtless resulting from continued blending and random mating is the striking example of megalodontia (teeth too large for the jaw) or vice versa — wide spaces occurring between most of the teeth indicating too spacious a jaw for the teeth.