Basic+ Word of the Day: jaw

jaw (noun)

Jaws are the two bones that hold the teeth.

• The dentist gave Ron a shot in his upper jaw.
• The huge dinosaur jaws sat in a glass case.

A jaw is also the part of the face that covers these bones.

• The fighter punched his opponent in the lower jaw.
• The yoga teacher told us to relax our jaws.

A jaw can also be something that resembles a jaw used to grasp or hold.

• Put the jaws of the pliers around the jar lid and twist.

Common uses

jaw-dropping: amazing. Example: “The jaw-dropping beauty of the rainbow was awesome.”

jaws of life: a hydraulic machine used to free people from a crash. Example: “The firefighters used the jaws of life to free Terry from the crashed car.”

In pop culture

If you’ve seen the movie Jaws about a shark attack, you may think about it every time you go swimming in the ocean. Watch the trailer if you dare.

There are other meanings of jaw.