One of a pair of bones that together form the centre of the face, the upper jaw, and the roof of the mouth. Each maxilla contains a large air-filled cavity (called the maxillary sinus) which is connected to the nasal cavity.
The name applied to the upper jawbones, which bear the teeth.
n. (pl. maxillae) loosely, the upper jaw, which bears the upper teeth. Strictly, the maxilla is one of a pair of bones that partly form the upper jaw, the outer walls of the maxillary sinus, and the floor of the orbit. See also mandible; skull. —maxillary adj.
Health Encyclopedia