gum arabic

noun

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

Origin of gum arabic

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Also called acacia, gum acacia.

Words Nearby gum arabic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gum arabic in a sentence

Have ready some very clear and weak gum-arabic water, or some thin starch, or rice-water.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence Hartley
The flaps of the envelopes are sealed with wax beforehand and prepared with the best gum arabic, which is allowed to dry hard.
Magic | Ellis Stanyon
Dissolve five ounces of best white gum-arabic in twenty table-spoonfuls of water, and strain it.
Harper's Round Table, August 27, 1895 | Various
I have known many able to take gum arabic, either solid or dissolved in water, and retain it, when nothing else could be borne.
The Matron's Manual of Midwifery, and the Diseases of Women During Pregnancy and in Childbed | Frederick Hollick
Very fine bronze may be made into ink by adding water and gum arabic and shaking occasionally while writing.
Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians | William K. David

British Dictionary definitions for gum arabic

gum arabic

noun

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

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

Scientific definitions for gum arabic

gum arabic

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.

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