diastema

noun /daɪəˈstiːmə/

1. A gap or space between two adjacent teeth, especially the upper front incisors (in humans).

   A gormless-looking boy, thin and exhibiting diastemata in the shop-front lights, offered him English newspapers.

2. A gap between teeth of different types, e.g. incisors and molars, which is a feature of some rodents and ungulates.

3. Any abnormal space, fissure, or cleft in an organ or other part of the body.

4. The modified protoplasm at the equator of a cell, existing before mitotic division.

Where it comes from

From Late Latin, from Ancient Greek διάστημα (diástēma, “interval, space between”). Compare diastasis.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry diastema (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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