What does "diastema" mean?

A gap or space between two adjacent teeth, especially the upper front incisors (in humans).

How do you pronounce "diastema"?

Pronounced //daɪəˈstiːmə//.

//daɪəˈstiːmə// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A gap or space between two adjacent teeth, especially the upper front incisors (in humans).
"A gormless-looking boy, thin and exhibiting diastemata in the shop-front lights, offered him English newspapers."
2
a gap or vacant space between two teeth wordnet
3
A gap between teeth of different types, e.g. incisors and molars, which is a feature of some rodents and ungulates.
4
Any abnormal space, fissure, or cleft in an organ or other part of the body.
5
The modified protoplasm at the equator of a cell, existing before mitotic division.

"A gormless-looking boy, thin and exhibiting diastemata in the shop-front lights, offered him English newspapers."

From Late Latin, from Ancient Greek διάστημα (diástēma, “interval, space between”). Compare diastasis.

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