Definition

1. Noun:
   • Gutta-percha: A natural, inelastic latex produced from the sap of trees in the Palaquium genus, historically significant for its insulating properties and used in various applications before the advent of synthetic plastics.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Nhựa két từng được dùng để bọc cáp điện ngầm dưới biển. (Gutta-percha was once used to insulate undersea telegraph cables.)
  • Vật liệu này được làm từ nhựa két tự nhiên. (This material is made from natural gutta-percha.)

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Historical Context: The term is primarily used in historical, botanical, or specialized industrial contexts to refer to this specific natural polymer.
  • Sự phát hiện ra tính chất của nhựa két đã cách mạng hóa ngành viễn thông thế kỷ 19. (The discovery of the properties of gutta-percha revolutionized the 19th-century telecommunications industry.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gutta-percha tree: Cây két, cây cánh kiến đỏ (referring to trees of the genus ).
• Mủ cây: Tree sap/latex (a more general term for plant latex, which includes gutta-percha).

Synonyms

• Natural latex (from Palaquium): Mủ cao su tự nhiên (từ cây Palaquium) – This is a descriptive synonym specifying the source.
• Historical insulator: Chất cách điện lịch sử – A functional description.

Notes on Usage

• Obsolete Term: "Nhựa két" is a highly specific and somewhat archaic term in modern Vietnamese. Its use is almost entirely confined to historical texts or technical discussions about materials science and botany.
• No direct modern equivalent: There is no common modern plastic or material that is directly called "nhựa két" today; it refers specifically to the historical material gutta-percha.

1. Gutta-percha