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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

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

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

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

Preserved inside the 100 million-year-old resin are fossils from an ancient forest ecosystem that once supported a remarkable variety of creatures, including species never seen before.

From Science Daily • May 25, 2026

A U.K. site using MMA to manufacture resin, a liquid or substance that turns into polymer, exploded and caused a fire in 2009.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

Constructed of 3D-printed polycarbonate resin and aluminum, with a wide amp frequency range of 20Hz to 25KHz, the object looks less like a speaker and more like a relic of time.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Avcoat is a mix of silica fibers, phenolic microballoons, and epoxy resin that chars and erodes, removing heat away.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

He was smearing the oozing resin on the gourd.

From "Son" by Lois Lowry

Related Words

• paste
• wax