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Added 10 October 2026

malocclusion

/ˌmæləˈkluːʒən/ noun

Latin root: male First recorded: 1888 Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about malocclusion at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

(dentistry) a condition in which the opposing teeth do not mesh normally.

Origin

First attested in 1888. Formed as mal- (“wrong”, “improper(ly)”: ultimately from the Classical Latin male, “badly”, “wrongly”; from malus, “bad”; compare the ben- element in benocclusion) + occlusion (“alignment of the teeth in closed jaws”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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