Library / English Dictionary

ENAMEL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: enamelled    , enamelling   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any smooth glossy coating that resembles ceramic glaze

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("enamel" is a kind of...):

coat; coating (a thin layer covering something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "enamel"):

nail enamel; nail polish; nail varnish (a cosmetic lacquer that dries quickly and that is applied to the nails to color them or make them shiny)

Derivation:

enamel (coat, inlay, or surface with enamel)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A paint that dries to a hard glossy finish

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("enamel" is a kind of...):

paint; pigment (a substance used as a coating to protect or decorate a surface (especially a mixture of pigment suspended in a liquid); dries to form a hard coating)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Hard white substance covering the crown of a tooth

Synonyms:

enamel; tooth enamel

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("enamel" is a kind of...):

solid body substance (the solid parts of the body)

Holonyms ("enamel" is a part of...):

crown (the part of a tooth above the gum that is covered with enamel)

Derivation:

enamel (coat, inlay, or surface with enamel)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A colored glassy compound (opaque or partially opaque) that is fused to the surface of metal or glass or pottery for decoration or protection

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("enamel" is a kind of...):

chemical compound; compound ((chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight)

Derivation:

enamel (coat, inlay, or surface with enamel)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Coat, inlay, or surface with enamel

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "enamel" is one way to...):

adorn; beautify; decorate; embellish; grace; ornament (make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.)

"Enamel" entails doing...:

fire (bake in a kiln so as to harden)

Domain category:

handicraft (a craft that requires skillful hands)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

enamel (any smooth glossy coating that resembles ceramic glaze)

enamel (hard white substance covering the crown of a tooth)

enamel (a colored glassy compound (opaque or partially opaque) that is fused to the surface of metal or glass or pottery for decoration or protection)

Credits

 Context examples: 

It deposits calcium and phosphorus into the enamel matrix.

(Maturation-Stage Ameloblast, NCI Thesaurus)

It is characterized by the presence of enamel and dentin and the absence of tooth-like structures.

(Complex Odontoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A family of lipo-soluble steroids important to the absorption, metabolism, and function of calcium and phosphorus and the growth and development of bone and tooth enamel.

(D Vitamin, NCI Thesaurus)

Cylindrical epithelial cells in the innermost layer of the enamel organ.

(Ameloblast, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Teeth are composed of several parts, including the pulp at the core, dentin in the middle, and enamel on the surface.

(Laser Therapy Prompts Regeneration in Teeth, NIH)

Tooth enamel is the hardest material present in mammals.

(‘Game-changing’ research could solve evolution mysteries, University of Cambridge)

It is characterized by the presence of a fibromyxoid stroma, epithelial component, dentin, and enamel.

(Ameloblastic Fibro-Odontoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A malignant neoplasm arising from tooth-forming tissues with-enamel organ differentiation (but without enamel formation).

(Ameloblastic Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Tooth decay that is restricted to the enamel layer.

(Caries Restricted to Enamel, NCI Thesaurus)

Tooth decay that extends through the enamel into the dentin layer.

(Caries into Dentin, NCI Thesaurus)