Spanish word

muela

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈmwela/

Meaning

  • feminine nounmolar

Example

Me duele una muela desde ayer.

My molar has been hurting since yesterday.

Illustration for muela (molar)

More examples

Anoche me despertó el dolor de una muela.

Last night a molar toothache woke me up.

Core concept

Rear tooth adapted for grinding, often with several raised chewing points and a wide occlusal surface.

Common phrases

  • dolor de muela

    molar toothache

  • caries en la muela

    molar cavity

  • la muela del juicio

    wisdom tooth

Similar words

diente: General tooth in the mouth, a hard organ for biting and chewing.
molar: Large back tooth with a wide chewing surface built for powerful grinding.
incisivo: Front thin tooth with a sharp edge designed for cutting food.
muela del juicio: Wisdom tooth that often erupts in adulthood and sits at the very back.

Definition in Spanish

Diente posterior de superficie amplia, diseñado para triturar y moler los alimentos.

Word origin

The Spanish word comes from Latin mola 'millstone', applied by analogy because molars act like small grinding stones.

Usage tips

  • A wisdom tooth is muela del juicio, so references to wisdom-tooth pain or extraction use that phrase.

Word lists with this word