Definition

1. 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.)