gum Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun a preparation (usually made of sweetened chicle) for chewing
chewing gum.
noun the tissue (covered by mucous membrane) of the jaws that surrounds the bases of the teeth
gingiva.
noun any of various substances (soluble in water) that exude from certain plants; they are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying
noun cement consisting of a sticky substance that is used as an adhesive
glue; mucilage.
noun wood or lumber from any of various gum trees especially the sweet gum
gumwood.
noun any of various trees of the genera Eucalyptus or Liquidambar or Nyssa that are sources of gum
gum tree.
verb cover, fill, fix or smear with or as if with gum
- if you gum the tape it is stronger
verb grind with the gums; chew without teeth and with great difficulty
mumble.
- the old man had no teeth left and mumbled his food
verb become sticky
verb exude or form gum
- these trees gum in the Spring

OE. gome, AS. gama palate; akin Co G. gaumen, OHG. goumo, guomo, Icel. gmr, Sw. gom; cf. Gr. to gape.

The dense tissues which invest the teeth, and cover the adjacent parts of the jaws.

OE. gomme, gumme, F. gomme, L. gummi and commis, fr. Gr. , prob. from an Egyptian form kam; cf. It. gomma.

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.
(Bot.) See Gum tree, below.
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. Southern U. S.
A rubber overshoe. Local, U. S.

imperfect & past participle Gummed ; present participle & verbal noun Gumming

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.
He frets likke a gummed velvet. Shak.