- jaw
- noun1 bone that contains teethADJECTIVE▪ bottom, lower▪ top, upper▪ firm, strong▪ clenched, set▪ slack▪ jutting, lantern (= in which the lower part sticks out)▪ square▪ broken, dislocated, fracturedVERB + JAW▪ clench, set, tighten (AmE)▪ work (AmE)▪
She worked her lower jaw back and forth.
▪ drop▪She dropped her jaw in astonishment.
▪ rub▪He rubbed his sore jaw.
▪ break, dislocate, fractureJAW + VERB▪ drop, hang, hang open▪My jaw dropped in astonishment when I saw the size of the audience.
▪ be set, clench, set, tighten▪Her jaw was set, ready for a fight.
▪ jut▪His jaw jutted stubbornly forward; he would not be denied.
JAW + NOUN▪ bone, musclePREPOSITION▪ in your jaw▪A muscle in his jaw pulsed angrily.
▪ on your jaw▪He had two days' growth of stubble on his jaw.
▪ to the jaw▪a punch to the jaw
▪ under your jaw▪She had a fold of flesh under her jaw.
PHRASES▪ the line of your jaw, the set of your jaw▪The stern set of the officer's jaw made Tony realize he was in trouble.
2 jaws mouthADJECTIVE▪ gaping, open▪ massive, powerful▪A shark can crush a boat with its massive jaws.
VERB + JAWS▪ clamp, close, lock, sink▪The dog locked its jaws on her leg and wouldn't let go.
▪A spider sank its jaws into my ankle.
▪ open▪Pythons open their jaws wide to swallow their prey whole.
▪ snap▪The animal's jaws snapped shut.
▪ escape, escape from▪The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws.
PREPOSITION▪ between its jaws▪The dog had his arm clamped between its jaws.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.