molar

1 of 3

noun

mo·​lar ˈmō-lər How to pronounce molar (audio)
: a tooth with a rounded or flattened surface adapted for grinding
specifically : one of the cheek teeth in mammals behind the incisors and canines see tooth illustration

molar

2 of 3

adjective (1)

1
: pulverizing by friction : grinding
2
: of, relating to, or located near the molar teeth

molar

3 of 3

adjective (2)

1
: of or relating to a mole of a substance
the molar volume of a gas
2
: containing one mole of solute in one liter of solution
molarity
mō-ˈla-rə-tē How to pronounce molar (audio)
-ˈler-ə-tē
noun

Examples of molar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The spots typically show up on the insides of the cheeks near the molars about two to three days after symptoms start. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 Doctors determined that her symptoms were probably due to a partial molar pregnancy, a rare condition that frequently causes life-threatening problems. Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 The clarification bill, supported by Idaho Chooses Life, made a small exception for life-threatening emergencies, ectopic pregnancies and molar pregnancies, targeted to deflect the judge’s argument. Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 27 Nov. 2023 Kahan’s first few releases are lightly catchy indie pop—the sort of thing that might play at a reasonable volume while a dental hygienist scrapes gunk off your molars. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 Still, South Korean health officials are cautioning against eating toothpicks, adding that, despite their backstage passes to your molars, the materials have not been approved for human consumption. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 26 Jan. 2024 The Significance of Tooth Shape The mechanical functions needed to digest certain foods plays a major role in primate tooth shape, particularly in molars. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024 McRae seemed to be a big, aggressive, silver-haired Southerner, above six feet in height, with enormous shoulders, hands about the size of my head, and a broad smile that revealed a hollow space of molars gone from lack of care. Christopher Ketcham, Harper's Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023 The second was also performed by international experts, including in Denmark and Canada, who found traces of Clostridium botulinum, a potentially deadly bacterium, in one of Neruda’s molars. Graciela Mochkofsky, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'molar.' 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 molares, plural, from Latin molaris, from molaris of a mill, from mola millstone — more at mill

Adjective (2)

mole entry 5

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (1)

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near molar

Cite this Entry

“Molar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/molar. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

molar

1 of 2 noun
mo·​lar ˈmō-lər How to pronounce molar (audio)
: a tooth with a rounded or flattened surface adapted for grinding
especially : one behind the premolars of a mammal

molar

2 of 2 adjective
1
: adapted for grinding
2
: of or relating to a molar
Etymology

Noun

from Latin molaris "a grinding tooth," from mola "millstone" — related to mill entry 1

Word Origin
Food is crushed in the mouth by the grinding of teeth, especially the molars. In much the same manner, grain may be ground into flour between two rough circular millstones. The Latin word for millstone is mola, and it seemed fitting to the English in the late Middle Ages that a tooth which acted like a millstone be called a molar.

Medical Definition

molar

1 of 4 noun
mo·​lar ˈmō-lər How to pronounce molar (audio)
: a tooth with a rounded or flattened surface adapted for grinding
specifically : one of the mammalian teeth behind the incisors and canines sometimes including the premolars but more exactly restricted to the three posterior pairs in each human jaw on each side which are not preceded by milk teeth

molar

2 of 4 adjective
1
a
: pulverizing by friction
molar teeth
b
: of, relating to, or located near the molar teeth
molar gland
2
: of, relating to, possessing the qualities of, or characterized by a hydatidiform mole
molar pregnancy

molar

3 of 4 adjective
1
: of or relating to a mass of matter as distinguished from the properties or motions of molecules or atoms
2
: of or relating to larger units of behavior especially as relatable to a prior deprivation or motivational pattern of the organism
interest in such molar problems of personality as the ego functionsR. R. Holt
compare molecular sense 2

molar

4 of 4 adjective
1
: of or relating to a mole of a substance
the molar volume of a gas
2
: containing one mole of solute in one liter of solution

More from Merriam-Webster on molar

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