ungum
Definition
- Verb:
- To remove gum or adhesive from: "ungum" means to take off or detach something that has been stuck with gum, glue, or a sticky substance. It is the reverse of "gum" (to stick with adhesive).
- To unstick or open: By extension, it can mean to free something that is stuck, as in opening a sealed or gummed surface.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- She carefully ungummed the envelope to avoid tearing the paper. (She removed the gummed seal to open the envelope.)
- The mechanic had to ungum the parts that were glued together during assembly. (He unstuck the components by removing the adhesive.)
Advanced Usage
- "to ungum the works": a rare, figurative expression meaning to resolve a sticky or blocked situation.
- The negotiator managed to ungum the works by offering a compromise. (He unblocked the stalled negotiations.)
Variants and Related Words
Gum (verb): to stick or fasten with gum or adhesive.
- Please gum the stamp onto the letter. (Apply adhesive to attach it.)
Gummy (adj): sticky or covered with gum.
- The candy left a gummy residue on my fingers. (A sticky substance remained.)
Ungummed (adj): not stuck or sealed with gum; free from adhesive.
- The ungummed envelope flap was easy to open. (It had no adhesive applied.)
Synonyms
- Unstick: to remove something that is stuck.
- Detach: to separate or unfasten.
- Unseal: to open something that was sealed.
Antonyms
- Gum: to stick or adhere with gum.
- Seal: to close or fasten securely.
Related Idioms
- Gum up the works: to cause a process to slow down or stop (similar in concept but opposite in action to "ungum").
- His mistake gummed up the works for the whole project. (It caused a blockage or delay.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Ungum from: to remove adhesive from a specific surface.
- It took hours to ungum the old labels from the jars. (Remove the gummed labels.)