jaw
noun · verb
Simple meaning
The part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
jawIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈdʒɔ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth
One of the bones, usually bearing teeth, which form the framework of the mouth.
The part of the face below the mouth.
figurativelyespecially in the plural
Anything resembling the jaw (sense 1) of an animal in form or action; the mouth or way of entrance.
One of a pair of opposing parts which are movable towards or from each other, for grasping or crushing anything between them.
A notch or opening.
verb
Talk socially without exchanging too much information
Talk incessantly and tiresomely
transitive
To assail or abuse by scolding.
intransitive
To scold; to clamor.
intransitiveinformal
To talk; to converse.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth
Used this way, jaw is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
The jaw in vertebrates that is hinged to open the mouth.
The commonest and least severe form of actinomycosis.
The jaw in vertebrates that is fused to the cranium.
Hydraulic tool inserted into a wrecked vehicle and used to pry the wreckage apart in order to provide access to people trapped inside.
A long thin lower jaw.
A type of forceps.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
The jaw in vertebrates that is hinged to open the mouth.
The jaw in vertebrates that is fused to the cranium.
Eel-shaped vertebrate without jaws or paired appendages including the cyclostomes and some extinct forms.
Eel-shaped vertebrate without jaws or paired appendages including the cyclostomes and some extinct forms.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: talk socially without exchanging too much information
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “jaw” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.