A dentist looks after teeth; a trident is an ancient weapon with three teeth; you indent a paragraph when you take a “bite” out of the first line; and al dente means that you have cooked pasta or vegetables so that they are tender but still firm “to the tooth.” English borrowed this Italian phrase in 1935; five years later Italy declared war on Britain.
When it comes to cooking meat, a medium well-done state is achieved when it is cooked to a point where it is tender enough to be cut using a fork, yet still slightly chewy or bite-y. On the other hand, in Italian cuisine, the term “al dente” is often used to describe the desirable texture of pasta, which should be cooked to a point where it is slightly firm to the bite. This term literally translates to “to the tooth.”