Toothed describes something that has teeth or tooth-like projections. A toothed whale, like a dolphin or sperm whale, has actual teeth for catching fish, unlike baleen whales that filter tiny creatures through bristly plates. A toothed gear has notches cut around its edge that mesh with other gears to transfer motion, like the gears inside a bicycle or clock.

The word often appears in nature and engineering. A toothed leaf has jagged edges that look like tiny teeth, such as the leaves on an elm tree or a saw palmetto. Carpenters use toothed saw blades, where each tooth cuts a thin slice of wood. Scientists might describe a toothed fossil, helping them understand what ancient animals ate.

When you see toothed in a description, picture something with multiple pointed parts sticking out, whether they're actual teeth for biting or tooth-shaped features that grip, cut, or connect with something else. The kitchen drawer in your house probably contains several toothed tools, like a bread knife, a vegetable peeler, or a grater.