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• resin
  resin

  noun

  any of a class of nonvolatile, solid or semisolid organic substances, as copal or mastic, that consist of amorphous mixtures of carboxylic acids and are obtained directly from certain plants as exudations or prepared by polymerization of simple molecules: used in medicine and in the making of varnishes and plastics.
• Resin
  Resin

  noun

  a male given name.

resin

¹ American  

[rez-in] / ˈrɛz ɪn /

noun

resins plural

1. any of a class of nonvolatile, solid or semisolid organic substances, as copal or mastic, that consist of amorphous mixtures of carboxylic acids and are obtained directly from certain plants as exudations or prepared by polymerization of simple molecules: used in medicine and in the making of varnishes and plastics.

2. Also a substance of this type obtained from certain pines.

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verb (used with object)

1. to treat or rub with resin.

Resin ² American  

[rez-in] / ˈrɛz ɪn /

noun

1. a male given name.

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resin British  

/ ˈrɛzɪn /

noun

1. any of a group of solid or semisolid amorphous compounds that are obtained directly from certain plants as exudations. They are used in medicine and in varnishes

2. any of a large number of synthetic, usually organic, materials that have a polymeric structure, esp such a substance in a raw state before it is moulded or treated with plasticizer, stabilizer, filler, etc Compare plastic

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verb

1. (tr) to treat or coat with resin

resin Scientific  

/ rĕz′ĭn /

1. Any of numerous clear or translucent, yellowish or brownish substances that ooze from certain trees and plants. Resins are used in products such as varnishes, lacquers, adhesives, plastics, and drugs. Balsam is a resin.

2. Any of various artificial substances, such as polyurethane, that have similar properties to natural resins and are used to make plastics.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• resinousness
  noun
• resinlike
  adjective
• resinous
  adjective
• resinously
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• resins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of resin

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French resine, from Latin rēsīna, probably from a non-Indo-European language; compare Greek rhētī́nē “pine resin,” from a related source

Explanation

Resin is a sticky substance that oozes out of trees including fir and pine trees. Because resin is insoluble in water, it's useful as a base in different kinds of glue and varnishes. Resin can be found in many materials from varnishes and cement to incense and other therapeutic products. Musicians add resin to the bows of their string instruments to help them get a little more friction. Ballet dancers coat the bottoms of their slippers in resin powder for a similar reason — to keep from slipping on the floor while they dance.

Example Sentences

Biomass Resin employs 10 people in Namie, including a 20-year-old who returned, and hopes to expand.

From Reuters • Mar. 9, 2023

Resin art is growing in popularity, particularly online.

From BBC • Jul. 22, 2022

Marilyn Santiago runs Creative Architectural Resin Products, a Florida-based manufacturer of faux wood beams, shutters and other decorative features for homes.

From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2022

Resin has been used by humans since antiquity and is found today in a dizzyingly broad array of products, from paint and solvents to pharmaceuticals, plastics and cosmetics.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 22, 2021

Resin designed to seal a breach against that pressure?

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• paste
• wax