chicle

[ chik-uh l ]

/ ˈtʃɪk əl /

noun

a gumlike substance obtained from the latex of certain tropical American trees, as the sapodilla, used chiefly in the manufacture of chewing gum.

Nearby words

chickenshit, chickpea, chickweed, chickweed wintergreen, chiclayo, chicle, chiclero's ulcer, chiclets, chico, chicom, chicopee

Origin of chicle

1860–65, Americanism; < Mexican Spanish < Nahuatl tzictli

Also called chicle gum.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for chicle

He, Diaz, might gather all the chicle he chose to in that valley.
Forbidden Cargoes|Roy J. Snell
A few sacks of chicle had drifted away in the night, that was all.
Forbidden Cargoes|Roy J. Snell
In 1885 the United States imported 929,959 pounds of chicle.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
He wanted very much to go down there and inspect the chicle, yet he had no legal right to do so.
Forbidden Cargoes|Roy J. Snell

There was no telling at what moment some one might offer him a cargo of cocoanuts, chicle, mahogany or a combination cargo of all.
Forbidden Cargoes|Roy J. Snell

British Dictionary definitions for chicle

chicle

/ (ˈtʃɪkəl) /

noun

a gumlike substance obtained from the sapodilla; the main ingredient of chewing gumAlso called: chicle gum

Word Origin for chicle

from Spanish, from Nahuatl chictli

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