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# toothpick

noun (a toothpick, toothpicks)

«toothpick» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A toothpick is a small thin stick of wood or plastic with a point, used to remove bits of food from between your teeth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toothpick/#m1)
2. Toothpicks are also used to hold small pieces of food together or to test whether a cake is cooked. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toothpick/#m2)

### In the lessons

In everyday life toothpicks hold sandwiches and party snacks together, and a cook pokes a toothpick into a cake: if it comes out clean, the cake is ready. In school, toothpicks and clay or marshmallows are used to build shapes like cubes and pyramids, and to count. Safety: they are sharp, so do not put them in ears or leave them for small children. Phrases: «stick a toothpick in», «toothpick bridge».

### Examples

- Mum pushed a toothpick into the cake to see if it was done. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toothpick/#x1)
- Each mini sandwich had a toothpick through the middle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toothpick/#x2)
- We built a cube from toothpicks and marshmallows. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toothpick/#x3)
- A cube needs twelve toothpicks, one for each edge. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toothpick/#x4)
- Grandpa used a toothpick after dinner. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toothpick/#x5)
- Keep toothpicks away from the baby. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toothpick/#x6)
- Our class made a bridge out of toothpicks and glue. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toothpick/#x7)

### Note

Countable noun, plural toothpicks; one word. In maths building tasks, count toothpicks as edges and marshmallows as vertices (corners). Using a toothpick at the table can seem impolite in some places.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «toothpick» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toothpick/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«toothpick» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/toothpick.html) on Mova free.