frenum

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fre·num

(frē′nəm)

n. pl. fre·nums or fre·na (-nə)

A membranous fold of skin or mucous membrane that supports or restricts the movement of a part or organ, such as the small band of tissue that connects the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth.

[Latin frēnum, bridle, from frendere, to grind; see ghrendh- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

frenum

(ˈfriːnəm)

n, pl -na (-nə)

(Anatomy) a variant spelling (esp US) of fraenum

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fre•num

(ˈfri nəm)

n., pl. -na (-nə)

a fold of membrane, as on the underside of the tongue, that checks or restrains motion.

[1740–50 < New Latin; Latin frēnum bridle]

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References in periodicals archive ?

There is a definite paucity of detailed clinical evidence directly correlating the existence of abnormal frenums (frenums which appear abnormally large and\or attached especially close to the gingival margin) and maxillary midline diastemas and consistently cause the relapse movement of orthodontically approximated incisors in a midline diastema situation.

The maxillary labial frenum is a fold of tissue, usually triangular in shape, extending from the maxillary midline area of the gingiva to the vestibule and midportion of the upperlip.