tooth
Preserved but no longer current.
"he has cut his eye TOOTH," i.e., he is sharp enough, or old enough, to do so; "old in the TOOTH," far advanced in age,—said often of old maids. From the stable term for aged horses which have lost the distinguishing marks in their teeth.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “tooth” mean?
"he has cut his eye TOOTH," i.e., he is sharp enough, or old enough, to do so; "old in the TOOTH," far advanced in age,—said often of old maids. From the stable term for aged horses which have lost the distinguishing marks in their teeth.
Is “tooth” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.