The term molar was coined in 1350 by the Anglo-Norman crusader and poet Walter of Bibbesworth. It took several centuries for it to gain popularity, reaching its peak in 1951 before gradually declining. Walter borrowed molar from the Latin phrase molaris dens, which translates to “grinding tooth”. The word dens for “tooth” shares its root with dental, while molaris (“grinding”) can be found in English terms like mola, mill, molasses, and immolate, among others. It originates from mola, meaning “millstone”, which in turn comes from a Proto-Indo-European reconstruction believed to sound like melh and signify “to crush”. Interestingly, residents of Massachusetts seem to search for the word molar more than those in any other state.
