jaw

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: either of two complex cartilaginous or bony structures in most vertebrates that border the mouth, support the soft parts enclosing it, usually bear teeth on their oral margin, and are an upper that is more or less firmly fused with the skull and a lower that is hinged, movable, and articulated with the temporal bone of either side compare mandible, maxilla
b
: the parts constituting the walls of the mouth and serving to open and close it
usually used in plural
c
: any of various organs of invertebrates that perform the function of the vertebrate jaws
2
: something resembling the jaw of an animal: such as
a
: either of two or more opposable parts that open and close for holding or crushing something between them
b
: one of the sides of a narrow pass or channel
3
a
: a space lying between or as if between open jaws
escaped from out of the jaws of the whale
b
: a position or situation in which one is threatened
rode into the jaws of danger
4
: a friendly chat
jawless adjective
jawless vertebrates

jaw

2 of 2

verb

jawed; jawing; jaws

intransitive verb

: to talk especially abusively, indignantly, or long-windedly
jawing with the referee

transitive verb

: to talk to in a scolding or boring manner

Examples of jaw in a Sentence

Noun He broke his upper jaw. the jaws of a tiger the jaws of a vise Verb The coach was jawing with the referee. She was on the phone jawing with her sister all night.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Two corrections officers covered up the use of excessive force when one punched an inmate in the face and broke his jaw, federal officials said. Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 14 Feb. 2024 With its streamlined body and powerful jaws, these reptiles could be potent predators. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024 The shape of its jaw indicates a short head designed for a formidable bite, ideal for hunting smaller sharks, bony fish, and squid-like orthocones. Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 But perhaps more tantalizingly, a partial set of jaws and gills of this species still rests within Mammoth Cave, too fragile for excavation. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 As the Driver, Gosling was all glare and clenched jaw. Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2024 Listen out for a loud collective crack, as the jaws of a hundred New York parents hit the floor. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 One year ago today, the innocent life view of a child was blasted away when a stray 9mm bullet pierced her chin, pulverized her jaw and exploded out her right cheek. Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2024 Harbaugh can present his square jaw and winning pedigree to the football world. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2024
Verb
Chewing on his mouthguard … thumping his fist on his chest ... waving his arms to rile up the crowd ... jawing with opposing players … gesturing to fans … arguing with officials … high stepping, arms flailing, into huddles. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 For much of the game, Kelce was jawing at the Ravens, and the Ravens were jawing back. Mike Freeman, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024 Williams then jawed at one of the nearby officials. Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024 But replays showed that the two were jawing at each other as players around them were starting to shake hands. Tom Silverstein, Journal Sentinel, 31 Dec. 2023 Read full article Francona wasn't exactly sure what prompted the Anderson-Ramírez fight, but said that before the brawl, Anderson had been told by one of the umpires to stop jawing at Guardians rookie Gabriel Arias. Brian Dulik, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2023 Following Sterling’s record-tying third consecutive bantamweight title defense at UFC 288 on May 6 in Newark, N. J., O’Malley entered the cage and the two jawed at one another. Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Aug. 2023 The two were jawing at each other before referee Alan Eck stepped between the two. oregonlive, 31 Aug. 2023 Trump became a fixture at LIV events held at his courses, routinely jawing about the PGA Tour with variable accuracy. Alan Blinder, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jaw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1748, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of jaw was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near jaw

Cite this Entry

“Jaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jaw. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

jaw

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: either of two structures of bone or cartilage of vertebrate animals that support the soft parts enclosing the mouth and usually bear teeth
b
: the parts making up the walls of the mouth and serving to open and close it
usually used in plural
c
: any of various organs of invertebrate animals that serve the same purpose as the jaws of vertebrate animals
2
: something resembling the jaw of an animal in form or action
especially : one of a set of opposing parts that open and close for holding or crushing something between them
jawed
ˈjȯd
adjective

jaw

2 of 2 verb
1
: to talk for a long time
2

Medical Definition

jaw

noun
1
: either of two complex cartilaginous or bony structures in most vertebrates that border the mouth, support the soft parts enclosing it, and usually bear teeth on their oral margin:
a
: an upper structure more or less firmly fused with the skull

called also upper jaw, maxilla

b
: a lower structure that consists of a single bone or of completely fused bones and that is hinged, movable, and articulated by a pair of condyles with the temporal bone of either side

called also inferior maxillary bone, lower jaw, mandible

2
: the parts constituting the walls of the mouth and serving to open and close it
usually used in plural
3
: any of various organs of invertebrates that perform the function of the vertebrate jaws

More from Merriam-Webster on jaw

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