any of various viscid, amorphous exudations from plants, hardening on exposure to air and soluble in or forming a viscid mass with water.
any of various similar exudations, as resin.
a preparation of such a substance, as for use in the arts or bookbinding.
mucilage; glue.
Philately. the adhesive by which a postage stamp is affixed.
Informal. a rubber overshoe or boot.
to smear, stiffen, or stick together with gum.
to clog with or as if with some gummy substance.
to exude or form gum.
to become gummy.
to become clogged with a gummy substance.
to masticate (food) with the gums instead of teeth.
to shape or renew the teeth of (a saw), as by grinding.
any of various sticky substances that exude from certain plants, hardening on exposure to air and dissolving or forming viscous masses in water
any of various products, such as adhesives, that are made from such exudates
any sticky substance used as an adhesive; mucilage; glue
short for kauri gum
a gumdrop
to cover or become covered, clogged, or stiffened with or as if with gum
(tr) to stick together or in place with gum
(intr) to emit or form gum
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English gom(m)e, gum(m)e, from Old French gomme, from Vulgar Latin gumma, for Latin gummi, cummi, commi, from Greek kómmi, from Coptic kommi, from Egyptian kema, kemai, kmjt
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English gom(m)e, Old English gōma “palate, jaws (in plural),” Old Norse gōmr “roof or floor of the mouth,” German Gaumen “palate”
First recorded in 1825–35; euphemism for God
Gum is a sticky substance that oozes out of a tree or another plant, and chewing gum is the stuff you blow bubbles with or stick under your desk. Yuck. Natural gum has many uses, including as a thickener in food products. Chewing gum, however, has only one real use: it's made to be chewed but not swallowed. This kind of gum often has a fruity or minty flavor, and can sometimes be blown into bubbles. When you gum something up, you clog or block it — or you make it sticky. Completely different gums are the soft flesh inside your mouth where your teeth are rooted.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In an early trial in people with gum disease, the drug was reported to reduce gum inflammation for several months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
When plaque builds up, it can harden into tartar and trigger chronic gum inflammation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Over time, severe gum disease can destroy the tissue and bone that hold teeth in place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
At least one week later, each participant returned to repeat the study using the other type of gum.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
Amelia’s mom passes around sticks of chewing gum.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
Bartender Yevgeniya Chernyshkova was lined up Thursday for a shot at Moscow’s GUM department store just off Red Square after the government required vaccinations for workers in some sectors.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 2, 2021
Detsky Mir has one big advantage for recently-exfiltrated Soviet spies over better known department stores like GUM: It’s a toy store.
From Slate ● May 31, 2018
Beyond GUM is a rapid-rehousing program that helps homeless individuals find and deal with housing issues, even paying some rent.
From Washington Times ● May 2, 2018
It reminds me of Moscow’s GUM department store in the days of the Soviet Union.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 23, 2017
While nobody talks anything but sugar at Martinique, nor cod in Newfoundland, at St. Louis the only subject of conversation is GUM.
From Memoirs (Vieux Souvenirs) of the Prince de Joinville by Loyd, Lady Mary Sophia (Hely-Hutchinson)
Crews could not “get anything into the compromised tank because, the theory is, the product was starting to solidify and it gummed up the dump valves,” McGovern said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
That gummed up credit markets, tanked the value of money-market funds, and sent global stock markets into a tailspin.
From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026
In a memo to employees, Fiddelke said he was trying to clear up “complexity” that gummed up decision-making and made it harder to deliver on ideas, according to the Journal.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2025
Now, supplies of multiple items are gummed up at the same time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2025
My hands were still glued, or gummed, to the raft, which had landed.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
In practice, it is gumming up urgent upgrades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026
"It's almost palpably eager to please – and if you don't welcome it right into your heart, you might want to check there's not some marmalade gumming it shut."
From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2025
And despite the claims that she’s gumming up the state’s process with her appeals, Gilbert has never actually reversed a council decision.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2025
Because of its eagerness to enter into chemical reactions, "sulfur compounds tend to be more unstable, posing hazards to lab personnel and equipment, clogging up instrumentation and gumming up experiments."
From Science Daily ● Mar. 13, 2024
Even Granny stopped gumming her tobacco and looked interested.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
