gingiva

noun

gin·​gi·​va ˈjin-jə-və How to pronounce gingiva (audio) jin-ˈjī- How to pronounce gingiva (audio)
plural gingivae ˈjin-jə-ˌvē How to pronounce gingiva (audio)
jin-ˈjī-
: gum entry 1
gingival
ˈjin-jə-vəl How to pronounce gingiva (audio)
adjective

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gingiva was circa 1889

Dictionary Entries Near gingiva

gingiv-

gingiva

gingivectomy

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Gingiva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gingiva. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

gingiva

noun
gin·​gi·​va ˈjin-jə-və How to pronounce gingiva (audio) jin-ˈjī- How to pronounce gingiva (audio)
plural gingivae -ˌvē How to pronounce gingiva (audio)
: gum entry 1
gingival
ˈjin-jə-vəl How to pronounce gingiva (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on gingiva

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gingiva

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
silhouette of a man with a megaphone against a british flag
Another Great British Vocabulary Quiz, Innit? A double-decker quiz with words from across the pond