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

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

From Seattle Times • Dec. 20, 2023

Crystallites may also be produced by allowing a solution of sulphur in carbon disulphide mixed with Canada balsam to evaporate slowly, and their development may be watched on a microscopic slide.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various

It is frequently adulterated for market.—The balm of Gilead fir, which produces a turpentine called Canada balsam, is the Abies balsamifĕra, a North American species, whose range is from Virginia to Canada.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3 Atrebates to Bedlis by Various

The plates may be pressed together or clamped together and placed over the middle neck of the bottle, a close contact being made with Canada balsam.

From Paint Technology and Tests by Gardner, Henry A.

For this purpose it is placed on a slip of glass, and cemented in position by Canada, balsam.

From On Laboratory Arts by Threlfall, Richard