Where does “fine-toothed” come from?
fine-toothed (English) comes from English toothed, from English tooth, from Middle English toth, from Old English tōþ, from Proto-Germanic tanþs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃dónts, from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed- — to eat.
fine-toothed (English): Having small teeth placed closely together of a comb, brush, etc
Definitions
- Having small teeth placed closely together of a comb, brush, etc
Ancestry of “fine-toothed”, step by step
fine-toothed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English toothed
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | toothed | Having teeth; Having projections resembling... |
| 2 | English | tooth | A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth... |
| 3 | Middle English | toth | Alternative form of tothe |
| 4 | Old English | tōþ | tooth |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tanþs | tooth |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃dónts | tooth |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ed- | to eat |