toothing

1. 1
   noununcountable

   Making notches or fitting small teeth along the edge of something.

   Like cutting little notches all along the edge of a comb.

   The toothing of the blade gave it a sharp, jagged edge.

   Workers finished the toothing on the gear by hand.

   Similarnotching, serration

   Note
2. 2
   noununcountable

   The time when a baby's first teeth start to grow.

   Like new shoots slowly pushing up through the soil.

   The baby's toothing kept the whole house awake at night.

   A bit of fussing during toothing is completely normal.

   Similarteething

3. 3
   verb

   Present participle of tooth. Use this -ing form for an action happening now.

   The worker is toothing the edge of the blade right now.

   They keep toothing each gear until it fits.

   Note
4. 4
   noununcountable

   Bricks left sticking out at the end of a wall so a new part can join onto it later.

   Like leaving puzzle pieces sticking out so more can be added later.

   The builders left toothing at the wall's end for the future extension.

   You can still see the toothing where the old house was meant to grow.

   Note
5. 5
   noununcountable

   The pattern of small tooth-like points along the edge of a leaf.

   Like the small points along the edge of a saw.

   The leaf's toothing helped the students name the tree.

   Fine toothing runs along the edge of a nettle leaf.

   Similarserration, dentation

   Note
6. 6
   noununcountable

   The small points left along a stamp's edge after it is torn from the sheet.

   Like the rough edge left after you tear a page out of a notebook.

   Collectors prize stamps with even toothing around all four sides.

   Rough toothing can lower a stamp's value.

   Note
7. 7
   noununcountable

   A made-up trend of using Bluetooth phones to set up sex with strangers, invented to see if reporters would check facts.

   Several newspapers ran scare stories warning parents about toothing.

   The reporter felt silly when she learned that toothing was a joke all along.

   Note

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