tooth

/tu:T/ noun plural teeth /ti:T/ (C)

1 IN MOUTH one of the hard white objects in your mouth that you use to bite and chew your food: Brush your teeth twice a day. | I'm going to the dentist to have a tooth out. | cut a tooth (=grow a new tooth): The baby's cutting a tooth. | The Doberman sank its teeth into his leg.

2 ON A TOOL ETC one of the pointed parts that sticks out from the edge of a comb, saw 2 (1), cog (1) etc

3 fight tooth and nail to try with a lot of effort or determination to do something: We fought tooth and nail to get our plans accepted.

4 get your teeth into informal to start to do something with eagerness and energy: I can't wait to get my teeth into the new course.

5 in the teeth of

a) in spite of opposition or danger from something: The new law was passed in the teeth of public protest.

b) against a stormy wind: sailing in the teeth of a storm

6 set sb's teeth on edge if a sound, taste etc sets your teeth on edge, it makes you feel physically uncomfortable: That scraping really sets my teeth on edge.

7 LAW have teeth if a law, regulation etc has teeth, or if you give it teeth, it has the power to force people to obey it: The agreement works because it has teeth.

8 sharp-toothed/saw-toothed/fine-toothed etc having sharp parts that stick out of the edge, etc: a fine-toothed comb

—see also: armed to the teeth armed (1), cut your teeth on sth cut 1 (16), by the skin of your teeth skin 1 (5), be a kick in the teeth kick 2 (4), lie through your teeth lie 2 (1), have a sweet tooth sweet 1 (7), take the bit between your teeth bit 1 (17)