maxilla
UK[makˈsɪlə]US[mækˈsɪlə]
n
the jaw or jawbone, specifically the upper jaw in most vertebrates.
n
(in arthropods) one of the paired mouthparts used for handling food.
Morpheme Breakdown
maxill
a
maxill
jaw
a
noun suffix
Etymology
the word maxilla is a direct borrowing from latin, where maxilla specifically meant "jawbone, upper jaw." this latin term is a diminutive form, likely derived from an earlier, unrecorded base mala, meaning "jaw." the diminutive suffix -illa gives the sense of a "little jaw," which may have originally referred to the lower jaw in contrast to a larger upper structure. over time, its meaning shifted in latin to denote the upper jaw, a sense retained in modern anatomical english. the term entered english in the 17th century, preserving its precise anatomical and zoological applications.
Analysis
Structure: maxill (jaw) + a (noun suffix)
maxill (from latin maxilla, meaning jaw, jawbone) + a (a latin noun-forming suffix).
Examples
the surgeon carefully examined the fracture in the patient's left maxilla.
in insects, the maxillae are secondary mouthparts located behind the mandibles.
the fossil showed a remarkably well-preserved maxilla with several teeth intact.