wisdom tooth
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The popular name for the third molar in each jaw. Wisdom teeth appear between the ages of 17 and 25.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “wisdom tooth” mean?
The popular name for the third molar in each jaw. Wisdom teeth appear between the ages of 17 and 25.
Is “wisdom tooth” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.