from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Maxilla \Max*il"la\, n.; pl. {Maxillae}. [L., dim. of mala jaw,
jawbone.]
1. (Anat.)
(a) The bone of either the upper or the under jaw.
(b) The bone, or principal bone, of the upper jaw, the
bone of the lower jaw being the mandible. [Now
commonly used in this restricted sense.]
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zool.) One of the lower or outer jaws of arthropods.
[1913 Webster]
Note: There are usually two pairs in Crustacea and one pair
in insects. In certain insects they are not used as
jaws, but may form suctorial organs. See Illust. under
{Lepidoptera}, and {Diptera}.
[1913 Webster] Maxillar