occlusion

Pronunciation: ŏ-klū′zhŭn

Definition:

1. The act of closing or the state of being closed.
2. In chemistry, the absorption of a gas by a metal or the inclusion of one substance within another (as in a gelatinous precipitate).
3. Any contact between the incising or masticating surfaces of the upper and lower teeth.
4. The relationship between the occlusal surfaces of the maxillary and mandibular teeth when they are in contact.

[L. oc-cludo, pp. -clusus, to shut up, fr. ob., against, + claudo, to close]

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