wisdom tooth

Meaning

One of the four (one upper and one lower on each side) rearmost molars in humans, which typically develop between ages 18-24.

Synonyms

tooth

🦷

molar

eyetooth

wisdom-tooth

dens serotinus

dens sapientiae

wisdom teeth

Translations

Weisheitszahn

dent de sagesse

dente del giudizio

verstandskies

muela del juicio

queixal del seny

φρονιμίτης

siso

dente do siso

dent

🦷

dente de sabedoria

muela cordal

dēns sapientiae

dentes sapientiae

Etymology

Cognate with German: Weisheitszahn

Cognate with Danish: visdomstand

Cognate with Swedish: visdomstand

Cognate with Icelandic: vísdómstönn

Cognate with Dutch: verstandskies

In summary

From wisdom + tooth, calque of Latin dēns sapientiae, which is itself a calque of Ancient Greek σωφρονιστῆρες (sōphronistêres, “prudent or self-controlled ones (i.e. teeth)”), because they arrive approximately when one has reached the age of prudence or wisdom. Compare also German Weisheitszahn (“wisdom tooth”), Danish visdomstand (“wisdom tooth”), Swedish visdomstand (“wisdom tooth”), Icelandic vísdómstönn (“wisdom tooth”), Dutch verstandskies (“wisdom tooth”, literally “intellect molar”), German Low German Verstandskuus (“wisdom tooth”, literally “wisdom molar”). Chinese 智齒 /智齿 (zhìchǐ), Russian зуб мудрости (zub mudrosti), Hebrew שן בינה (shen biná) and Finnish viisaudenhammas also mean “tooth of wisdom”.