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

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

Word Origin and History for chicle

chicle

1889, American English (in chicle-gum), from Mexican Spanish chicle, from Nahuatl (Aztec) tzictli.