gum
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160 ENTRIES FOUND:

1gum

noun \ˈgəm\

Definition of GUM

: the tissue that surrounds the necks of teeth and covers the alveolar parts of the jaws; broadly : the alveolar portion of a jaw with its enveloping soft tissues

Origin of GUM

Middle English gome, from Old English gōma palate; akin to Old High German guomo palate, and perhaps to Greek chaos abyss
First Known Use: before 12th century

2gum

transitive verb
gummedgum·ming

Definition of GUM

1
: to enlarge gullets of (a saw)
2
: to chew with the gums

First Known Use of GUM

1777

3gum

noun

Definition of GUM

1
a : any of numerous colloidal polysaccharide substances of plant origin that are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying and are salts of complex organic acids — compare mucilage 1
b : any of various plant exudates (as an oleoresin or gum resin)
2
: a substance or deposit resembling a plant gum (as in sticky or adhesive quality)
3
a : a tree (as a black gum) that yields gum
b Australian : eucalyptus
4
: the wood or lumber of a gum; especially : that of the sweet gum

Origin of GUM

Middle English gomme, from Middle French, from Latin cummi, gummi, from Greek kommi, from Egyptian qmyt
First Known Use: 14th century

4gum

verb
gummedgum·ming

Definition of GUM

transitive verb
: to clog, impede, or damage with or as if with gum <gum up the works>
intransitive verb
1
: to exude or form gum
2
: to become gummy
gum·mer noun

First Known Use of GUM

1597

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