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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

elephant's tooth en · NOUN

Etymology

So called because originally made from ivory.

Meanings

  1. (archaic, slang) A die (cube thrown in games of chance).
    • 1876, Charles Dickens, All the Year Round That no minute might be wasted, the gay gallants of the time generally had a dice-box and a cast of dice in their pockets. This was convenient in the extreme, as, in the intervals of racing, a main could be thrown, and when out hunting, a check was looked on with no disfavour by those who treasured every opportunity of "flirting with the elephant's tooth."