mandible Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the jaw in vertebrates that is hinged to open the mouth
    jowl; lower jaw; submaxilla; lower jawbone; mandibula; mandibular bone; jawbone.

WordNet

Man"di*ble noun
Etymology
L. mandibula, mandibulum, fr. mandere to chew. Cf. Manger.
Definitions
  1. (Anat.) The bone, or principal bone, of the lower jaw; the inferior maxilla; -- also applied to either the upper or the lower jaw in the beak of birds.
  2. (Zoöl.) The anterior pair of mouth organs of insects, crustaceaus, and related animals, whether adapted for biting or not. See Illust. of Diptera.

Webster 1913