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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.
Synonyms

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.


verb (used with object)

  1. to treat or rub with resin.

Resin 2 American  
[rez-in] / ˈrɛz ɪn /

noun

  1. a male given name.


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

"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

verb

  1. (tr) to treat or coat with resin

"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
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.


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns


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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing resin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

After the flower is sufficiently “crispy,” she sits at an L-shaped desk overlooking her makeshift garden and coats individual petals with resin up to six times, curing them under a UV light between coats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

During debinding, the crown is slowly heated to remove the resin that holds the zirconia particles together during printing.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

Molecular fingerprinting revealed compounds associated with pine trees, showing that every sample was dominated by heated coniferous resin or coniferous tar, also called pitch.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

Different materials, including liquid resin and filaments, are suited for different jobs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Partway up the trunk, a branch had broken off, and the wound was leaking golden resin.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

“But, in Indigenous traditions, we perform rituals with what is available in the forest. Resin from trees is used.”

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 17, 2024

Last November, Tokyo-based firm Biomass Resin opened a factory in Namie to turn locally-grown rice into pellets.

From Reuters ● Mar. 9, 2023

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, which gets brittle over time, grows increasingly fragile as it ages.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2020

Ule and dock are Both for binding Reh for seeking Kel for finding Gea key Teh lock Pesin water Resin rock Before I could go any further, sixth bell struck.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

UV light is used for air purification, curing resins in 3D printing, hardening gels in dental fillings, and even applications such as nail treatments.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

While Middle East tensions haven’t yet disrupted supplies of ABF’s building blocks, there is still a risk of shortages of products like raw resins and chemical fillers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

More broadly, diesel fuel and jet fuel, as well as petroleum-based products like plastic resins were up on the month as well.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

Prices of products made from oil derivatives, such as plastic resins and chemicals, also rose sharply.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026

The shelves are lined with apothecary bottles that twinkle like jewels, as well as clear jars and magnificent flasks containing resins, balms, waxes, and oils made from flowers, plant secretions, and extracts.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

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