Gum

Definition of Gum

Pronunciation: gŭmd
n.1.The dense tissues which invest the teeth, and cover the adjacent parts of the jaws.
Gum rash
(Med.) strophulus in a teething child; red gum.
Gum stick
a smooth hard substance for children to bite upon while teething.
v. t.1.To deepen and enlarge the spaces between the teeth of (a worn saw). See Gummer.
n.1.A vegetable secretion of many trees or plants that hardens when it exudes, but is soluble in water; as, gum arabic; gum tragacanth; the gum of the cherry tree. Also, with less propriety, exudations that are not soluble in water; as, gum copal and gum sandarac, which are really resins.
2.(Bot.) See Gum tree, below.
3.A hive made of a section of a hollow gum tree; hence, any roughly made hive; also, a vessel or bin made of a hollow log.
4.A rubber overshoe.
Black gum
See under Black, Blue, etc.
Gum Acaroidea
the resinous gum of the Australian grass tree (Xanlhorrhœa).
Gum animal
(Zool.) the galago of West Africa; - so called because it feeds on gums. See Galago.
Gum animi or animé
See Animé.
Gum arabic
, a gum yielded mostly by several species of Acacia (chiefly A. vera and A. Arabica) growing in Africa and Southern Asia; - called also gum acacia. East Indian gum arabic comes from a tree of the Orange family which bears the elephant apple.
Gum butea
a gum yielded by the Indian plants Butea frondosa and B. superba, and used locally in tanning and in precipitating indigo.
Gum cistus
a plant of the genus Cistus (Cistus ladaniferus), a species of rock rose.
Gum dragon
See Tragacanth.
Gum elastic
See Caoutchouc.
Gum elemi
See Elemi.
Gum juniper
See Sandarac.
Gum kino
See under Kino.
Gum lac
See Lac.
Gum Ladanum
, a fragrant gum yielded by several Oriental species of Cistus or rock rose.
Gum passages
sap receptacles extending through the parenchyma of certain plants (Amygdalaceæ, Cactaceæ, etc.), and affording passage for gum.
Gum pot
, a varnish maker's utensil for melting gum and mixing other ingredients.
Gum resin
the milky juice of a plant solidified by exposure to air; one of certain inspissated saps, mixtures of, or having properties of, gum and resin; a resin containing more or less mucilaginous and gummy matter.
Gum sandarac
See Sandarac.
Gum Senegal
, a gum similar to gum arabic, yielded by trees (Acacia Verek and A. Adansoniä) growing in the Senegal country, West Africa.
Gum tragacanth
See Tragacanth.
Gum water
a solution of gum, esp. of gum arabic, in water.
Gum wood
the wood of any gum tree, esp. the wood of the Eucalyptus piperita, of New South Wales.
v. t.1.To smear with gum; to close with gum; to unite or stiffen by gum or a gumlike substance; to make sticky with a gumlike substance.
[imp. & p. p. Gummed (gŭmd); p. pr. & vb. n. Gumming.]
He frets like a gummed velvet.
- Shak.
2.To chew with the gums, rather than with the teeth.
gum up
a - To block or clog (a conduit) with or as if with gum; as, to gum up the drainpipe.
b - to interfere with; to spoil.
v. i.1.To exude or form gum; to become gummy.

Related Words

Lastex, acaroid resins, agglutinate, alveolar ridge, amber, baleen, battledore, bind, bite, bollix, braze, bridgework, bubble gum, cement, champ, chaw, chew, chew the cud, chew up, chewing gum, chicle, chicle gum, chomp, colophony, coumarone resins, crab, cramp, crimp, dental bridge, dentition, denture, elastic, elastomer, false teeth, fossil resins, foul up, fuse, glue, gnash, gnaw, grind, gum elastic, gum rosin, gum up, gums, handball, ivories, jumping jack, lac resins, louse up, masticate, mouth, mumble, munch, nibble, paste, periodontal tissue, pine resins, plastic, plate, queer, racket, resin, resina, resinate, resinoid, rosin, rubber, rubber ball, rubber band, ruminate, set of teeth, snafu, solder, spandex, spring, springboard, stick together, stretch fabric, synthetic resin, teeth, trampoline, uppers and lowers, vegetable resins, weld, whalebone
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Gulleting
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Gully gut
Gully hole
Gulosity
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-Gum-
gum acacia
Gum Acaroidea
Gum animal
Gum animi or anime
Gum arabic
Gum butea
Gum cistus
Gum dragon
Gum elastic
Gum elemi
Gum juniper
Gum kino
Gum lac
Gum Ladanum
Gum passages
Gum pot
Gum rash
Gum resin
Gum sandarac
Gum Senegal
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