orthodontic (adj.)
"serving to correct the positions of the teeth," 1905, from orthodontia + -ic.
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Middle English -ik, -ick, word-forming element making adjectives, "having to do with, having the nature of, being, made of, caused by, similar to," from French -ique and directly from Latin -icus or from cognate Greek -ikos "in the manner of; pertaining to." From PIE adjective suffix *-(i)ko, which also yielded Slavic -isku, adjectival suffix indicating origin, the source of the -sky (Russian -skii) in many surnames. In chemistry, indicating a higher valence than names in -ous (first in benzoic, 1791).
In Middle English and after often spelled -ick, -ike, -ique. Variant forms in -ick (critick, ethick) were common in early Modern English and survived in English dictionaries into early 19c. This spelling was supported by Johnson but opposed by Webster, who prevailed.
"orthodontia, the branch of dentistry concerned with the treatment of irregularities of the teeth and jaws," 1909, from orthodontic (adj.); also see -ics.
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updated on October 02, 2019
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Dictionary entries near orthodontic
orrery
Orson
ort
ortho-
orthodontia
orthodontic
orthodontics
orthodontist
orthodox
orthodoxy
orthognathous