enamel

«enamel» in Mova's school dictionary: The hard, white, shiny outer layer of your teeth that… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (enamel — uncountable); verb (enamel, enamels, enamelled/enameled)

meaning for a pupil

1) The hard, white, shiny outer layer of your teeth that protects them. tree →

2) A hard, shiny coating like glass, melted onto metal or pottery, like an enamel mug or a badge. tree →

3) A type of glossy paint. tree →

4) To enamel something means to cover it with a hard, shiny coating. tree →

sense in the lessons

In science and health, tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, but it can be worn away by acid from sugary foods and drinks (made by bacteria in plaque) and by acidic drinks like cola and juice; it does not grow back. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing, and cutting down on sugar protect enamel. In art and history, enamel is used to make colourful jewellery, signs, pins and pots. Phrases: "tooth enamel", "wear away the enamel", "enamel paint", "an enamel mug".

examples

• Enamel is the hard white layer on your teeth. tree →
• Sugary drinks can damage your tooth enamel. tree →
• Fluoride toothpaste makes enamel stronger. tree →
• Grandpa drinks tea from a chipped enamel mug. tree →
• The badge was made of colourful enamel. tree →
• Enamel is the hardest part of the human body. tree →
• Acid from cola can soften enamel. tree →
• Once enamel is gone, it doesn't grow back. tree →
• ‘We will try it,’ said Manawyddan, and they began to make shields, and fashioned them after the shape of the shields they had seen; and these likewise they enamelled. tree →

note

Uncountable: "tooth enamel", not "an enamel". Spelling: British "enamelled", American "enameled". Stress: e-NAM-el. Myth: teeth are bones — they are not, though both are hard; enamel is harder than bone.

In the corpora

• The colour comes from iron in the enamel, which makes the tooth harder.
• The orange colour of many rodents' front teeth comes from iron in the enamel, which makes it harder.
• Even sugar-free fizzy drinks are acidic and can soften enamel; water and milk are the safest drinks for teeth.
• Acid softens tooth enamel for a short time, so it is better to wait a while after a fizzy drink before brushing.
• Bacteria on teeth make acid from sugar, which damages enamel; toothpaste is slightly alkaline, and fluoride in it makes enamel tougher.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «enamel» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.