chewing gum

American

[choo-ing] / ˈtʃu ɪŋ /

noun

a sweetened and flavored preparation for chewing, usually made of chicle.

chewing gum British

noun

a preparation for chewing, usually made of flavoured and sweetened chicle or such substitutes as polyvinyl acetate

"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

Etymology

Origin of chewing gum

An Americanism dating back to 1755–65

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.

The gum base that makes up about 15% to 30% of a typical piece of chewing gum is often petroleum-derived, academic studies show.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

"He spat his chewing gum out to cover," says Spencer.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

Indeed, everyone in Sennott’s LA throws around “I love yous” and air-kisses like chewing gum wrappers blowing into the gutter.

From Salon • Nov. 2, 2025

The Independent's three-star review says the show "sticks to the original movie like chewing gum to the underside of a school desk" at first, but changes tack by the second half.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2025

After supper, he propped himself up against a fern, bit off some spruce gum for a chew, and lay there on the bank dreaming and chewing gum.

From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023