gum arabic

noun

1. a water-soluble, gummy exudate obtained from the acacia tree, especially Acacia senegal, used as an emulsifier, an adhesive, in inks, and in pharmaceuticals.

gum arabic

noun

1. Also called: acacia.  gum acacia. a gum exuded by certain acacia trees, esp Acacia senegal: used in the manufacture of ink, food thickeners, pills, emulsifiers, etc

gum arabic

1. A gum exuded by various African trees of the genus Acacia, especially A. senegal. Gum arabic is used in the preparation of pills and emulsions, in the manufacture of adhesives and candies, and as a thickener and stabilizer of colloids. Gum arabic consists mostly of a mixture of oligosaccharides and heavy glycoproteins.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gum arabic¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400