Canada balsam

American  

noun

1. a pale yellow or greenish, slightly fluorescent, clear, viscous, bitter-tasting, water-insoluble liquid, having a pleasant, aromatic, pinelike odor, and solidifying on exposure to air: obtained from the balsam fir, Abies balsamea, and used chiefly for mounting objects on microscope slides, in the manufacture of fine lacquers, and as a cement for lenses.

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Canada balsam British  

noun

1. a yellow transparent resin obtained from the balsam fir. Because its refractive index is similar to that of glass, it is used as an adhesive in optical devices and as a mounting medium for microscope specimens

2. another name for balsam fir

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Etymology

Origin of Canada balsam

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Canada balsam

But on the Isle Royale National Park near Michigan’s border with Canada, balsam firs were being devoured.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 20, 2023

If the preparation is to be permanently preserved, it should be dehydrated in strong alcohol after washing with water, and it may then be treated with oil of cloves and mounted in Canada balsam.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various

Canada balsam or Canada turpentine is the oleo-resin yielded by Abies balsamea, a tree that grows in Canada and the northern parts of the United States.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 "Baconthorpe" to "Bankruptcy" by Various

They may then be picked up with a camel's-hair brush and mounted in Canada balsam.

From Freshwater Sponges, Hydroids & Polyzoa by Annandale, Nelson

Canada balsam, thus obtained, is a clear liquid from a fir tree of the same name.

From Conservation Reader by Fairbanks, Harold W. (Harold Wellman)