Dens

//dɛnz// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    plural of den form-of, plural
  2. 2
    A toothlike process projecting from the anterior end of the centrum of the axis vertebra on which the atlas vertebra rotates.
Verb
  1. 1
    third-person singular simple present indicative of den. form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person

Synonyms

All synonyms
odontoid process

Example

More examples

"Then fury spurred their courage, and behold, / As ravening wolves, when darkness hides the day, / Stung with mad fire of famine uncontrolled, / Prowl from their dens, and leave the whelps to stay, / With jaws athirst and gaping for the prey. / So to sure death, amid the darkness there, / Where swords, and spears, and foemen bar the way, / Into the centre of the town we fare. / Night with her shadowy cone broods o'er the vaulted air."

Etymology

Etymology 1

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin dens (“a tooth”). Doublet of dent and tooth.

Related phrases

crowned dens syndrome

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.