tooth-powder

She sprinkles tooth-powder onto her toothbrush.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A powder used for cleaning teeth: "tooth-powder" refers to a dry, powdered substance applied to a toothbrush for the purpose of cleaning and polishing teeth, often used before the widespread availability of modern toothpaste.

Usage Examples

• (A powdered dentifrice for oral hygiene.)
• (A homemade or traditional cleaning agent for teeth.)

Advanced Usage

• "tooth-powder as a historical product": In the 19th and early 20th centuries, tooth-powder was commonly sold in tins or boxes and was the standard form of dental cleaner.
  • Antique shops sometimes sell vintage tooth-powder tins with decorative labels. (Collectible containers that once held powdered dentifrice.)

Variants and Related Words

• Toothpaste (n): a paste or gel used for cleaning teeth, which largely replaced tooth-powder in modern times.

  • Most people now use toothpaste instead of tooth-powder for daily brushing. (A modern alternative to the powdered form.)

• Toothbrush (n): a tool with bristles used with tooth-powder or toothpaste to clean teeth.

  • He dipped his wet toothbrush into the tooth-powder jar. (The brush used to apply the powder.)

Synonyms

• Dentifrice: a general term for any substance used to clean teeth, including tooth-powder.
• Cleaning powder: a broader term that can refer to any powdered abrasive cleaner, but in context, specifically for teeth.

Related Idioms

• (No common idioms directly use "tooth-powder" in English; the term is largely historical or technical.)

Phrasal Verbs

• (No phrasal verbs are formed with "tooth-powder"; it is a compound noun.)