Meaning
jaws, throat, maw
- the opening of the mouth and throat of a predatory animal (usually plural: fauci)
- a gaping, perilous opening or abyss (figurative)
In a sentence
Il predatore spalancò le enormi fauci prima di attaccare.
The predator opened its enormous jaws wide before attacking.
Non gettarti volontariamente nelle fauci del lupo.
Do not throw yourself willingly into the wolf's jaws.
L'esploratore osservò le buie fauci della caverna.
The explorer looked at the dark maw of the cave.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| fauce | feminine · singular |
| fauci | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Literary: formal or elevated register; almost exclusively encountered in the plural 'fauci'.
- Singular 'fauce' is extremely rare in modern Italian outside anatomical or specialized texts.