sweet gum
a tall, aromatic tree, Liquidambar styraciflua, of the eastern U.S., having star-shaped leaves and fruits in rounded, burlike clusters.
the hard reddish-brown wood of this tree, used for making furniture.
the amber balsam exuded by this tree, used in the manufacture of perfumes and medicines.
Origin of sweet gum
1- Also called red gum (for defs. 1, 2).
Words Nearby sweet gum
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use sweet gum in a sentence
On our way I saw Lejoillie eagerly eyeing the branches of a tree producing a sweet gum.
In the Wilds of Florida | W.H.G. Kingstonsweet gum, walnut, or oak may be left in its natural state, and oiled to bring out the grain and finish.
Construction Work for Rural and Elementary Schools | Virginia McGawIn the "flats" in certain parts of Jackson and Scott Counties it becomes a common tree, associated with pin oak and sweet gum.
Trees of Indiana | Charles Clemon DeamUsually it is associated with such low ground species as pecan, sweet gum, swell-butt ash, and the cane.
Trees of Indiana | Charles Clemon Deamsweet gum should be one of the principal species in wet places of the woodlots of southern Indiana.
Trees of Indiana | Charles Clemon Deam
British Dictionary definitions for sweet gum
a North American liquidambar tree, Liquidambar styraciflua, having prickly spherical fruit clusters and fragrant sap: the wood (called satin walnut) is used to make furniture: Compare sour gum
the sap of this tree
- Often shortened to: red gum
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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