Tusks Are Teeth That Never Stop Growing
A tusk is a long protruding tooth. It grows continuously throughout an animal's life.
A tusk is a long pointed tooth protruding from a closed mouth. Unlike ordinary teeth, tusks grow continuously: an elephant's are upper incisors that keep extending throughout life, worn down by digging and stripping bark rather than by chewing. A narwhal's tusk is a single canine that spirals through its upper lip and is packed with nerve endings, apparently serving as a sensory organ. *Tusk* is Old English *tux*, and *tush* for a long tooth is a variant of the same word.
- A protruding tooth. *An elephant's tusk.*
- Ivory. *Tusk ivory.*
- A narwhal's spiral. *A narwhal tusk.*
- Tusked. *A tusked boar.*
- Old English — *tux*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | tusk | A tusk. |
| Plural | tusks | Tusks. |
| Adjective | tusked | Tusked. |
| Variant | tush | A tush. |
| Old English | tux | A tusk. |
- The boar's tusks curved upward.Animal.
- Tusks grow continuously.Biology.
- A narwhal tusk is a tooth.Fact.
Which teeth become tusks
- Elephants — upper incisors
- Walruses — upper canines
- Wild boar — lower canines, sharpened against the uppers
- Narwhals — a single left canine that spirals anticlockwise
- Hippopotamuses — lower canines and incisors
Old English *tux*, a variant of *tusc*, of Germanic origin.
Are tusks teeth?
Yes. They are elongated incisors or canines that grow continuously rather than stopping at a fixed size.
What is a narwhal's tusk?
A single canine tooth that spirals through the upper lip, packed with nerve endings and apparently used as a sensory organ.