Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dental floss” come from?

dental floss (English) comes from English dental, from Middle French dental, from Latin dentālis, from Latin dēns, from Italian dente, from Latin dens, from Proto-Italic dents, from Proto-Indo-European h₃dónts — to eat.

dental floss (English): A cord of thin filaments used to clean the areas...

Definitions

  1. A cord of thin filaments used to clean the areas...

Ancestry of “dental floss”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdentalOf or concerning the teeth, as in "dental care";...
2Middle Frenchdental—
3Latindentālis—
4Latindēns—
5Italiandentetooth; cog, prong
6Latindenstooth; a spike, prong, or any tooth-like...
7Proto-Italicdentstooth
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃dóntstooth
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ed-to eat

Words derived from “dental floss”

  • デンタルフロス
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed- →