Definition

1. Noun:

   • A type of tree: Any of various trees, especially of the genera Eucalyptus, Liquidambar, or Nyssa, that are sources of gum, wood, or lumber.
   • An adhesive substance: A sticky cement or substance used to glue things together.
   • A plant exudate: Any of various water-soluble substances that ooze from certain plants, which are gelatinous when wet but harden when dry.
   • The tissue in the mouth: The firm, fleshy tissue (covered by mucous membrane) surrounding the bases of the teeth; the gums.
   • A chewing preparation: A preparation, usually made of sweetened chicle, for chewing; chewing gum.

2. Verb:

   • To exude gum: To ooze or form a sticky, resinous substance.
   • To become sticky: To become adhesive or gummy.
   • To chew without teeth: To grind or mumble food using the gums because of a lack of teeth.
   • To apply gum: To cover, fill, fix, or smear something with or as if with a sticky adhesive.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The sweet gum is a common tree in North America.
  • I need some gum to fix this broken vase.
  • My gums are bleeding after I brushed my teeth too hard.
  • Would you like a piece of chewing gum?

• Verb:

  • Some trees gum in the spring, producing a sticky resin.
  • The old label gummed up and was hard to remove.
  • The baby had to gum her food because she had no teeth yet.
  • He carefully gummed the envelope shut.

Advanced Usage

• "to gum up the works": To cause a process or system to stop working properly, often by making it sticky or clogged.

  • Adding too much oil can gum up the engine.

• "to gum something down": To fasten or secure something with an adhesive.

  • She gummed down the corners of the poster so it wouldn't curl.

Variants and Related Words

• Gummy (adj): Having a sticky or glue-like consistency; resembling gum.

  • The candy was gummy and stuck to my teeth.

• Gumwood (n): The wood from a gum tree.

  • The furniture was made from durable gumwood.

• Gumdrop (n): A type of chewy, gelatin-based candy.

  • He offered me a red gumdrop.

Synonyms

• Noun (Adhesive): Adhesive, glue, paste, cement.
• Noun (Mouth tissue): Gingiva (medical term).
• Verb (Chew): Mumble, munch (without teeth).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Gum up: To make something sticky or cause it to malfunction.

  • The spilled syrup gummed up the keyboard.

• Gum together: To cause things to stick together with a sticky substance.

  • The pages of the old book were gummed together.

Related Idioms

• By gum!: An old-fashioned, mild exclamation of surprise or emphasis.

  • By gum! That's a large fish you caught!

• Gum and bear it: A playful, informal variation of "grin and bear it," implying enduring something unpleasant.

  • The lecture was boring, but I just had to gum and bear it.

Noun

1. any of various trees of the genera Eucalyptus or Liquidambar or Nyssa that are sources of gum
2. wood or lumber from any of various gum trees especially the sweet gum
3. cement consisting of a sticky substance that is used as an adhesive
4. any of various substances (soluble in water) that exude from certain plants; they are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying
5. the tissue (covered by mucous membrane) of the jaws that surrounds the bases of the teeth
6. a preparation (usually made of sweetened chicle) for chewing

Verb

1. exude or form gum
   • these trees gum in the Spring
2. become sticky
3. grind with the gums; chew without teeth and with great difficulty
   • the old man had no teeth left and mumbled his food
4. cover, fill, fix or smear with or as if with gum
   • if you gum the tape it is stronger