esophageal teeth

esophageal teeth

[ə¦säf·ə¦jē·əl ′tēth]

(vertebrate zoology)

The enamel-tipped hypapophyses of the posterior cervical vertebrae of certain snakes, which penetrate the esophagus and function to break eggshells.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.