gum

[ guhm ]

/ gʌm /

noun

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.

chewing gum.

mucilage; glue.

rubber¹(def 1).

gum tree.

Philately. the adhesive by which a postage stamp is affixed.Compare o.g.(def 1).

Informal. a rubber overshoe or boot.

verb (used with object), gummed, gum·ming.

to smear, stiffen, or stick together with gum.

to clog with or as if with some gummy substance.

verb (used without object), gummed, gum·ming.

to exude or form gum.

to become gummy.

to become clogged with a gummy substance.

Verb Phrases

gum up, Slang. to spoil or ruin.

Nearby words

Idioms

gum up the works. work(def 51).

Origin of gum

1350–1400; Middle English gomme < Old French < Vulgar Latin *gumma, for Latin gummi, cummi < Greek kómmi

Related formsgum·less, adjectivegum·like, adjective

gum

[ guhm ]

/ gʌm /

noun

Often gums. Also called gingiva. the firm, fleshy tissue covering the alveolar parts of either jaw and enveloping the necks of the teeth.

verb (used with object), gummed, gum·ming.

to masticate (food) with the gums instead of teeth.

to shape or renew the teeth of (a saw), as by grinding.

Origin of gum

1275–1325; Middle English gome, Old English gōma palate; akin to Old Norse gōmr, German Gaumen palate

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

Examples from the Web for gums

Or maybe we just need one of those bogus “alien invasions” that Paul Krugman is always flapping his gums about.
This One Picture of Telly Savalas Refutes All Fears That Progress Has Ended|Nick Gillespie|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Lactobacillus reuteri LR-1 or LR-2 promote oral health by binding to teeth and gums, preventing plaque formation in the mouth.
How to Choose the Right Probiotic for You|DailyBurn|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After you spit out the oil, rub the remaining oil into your gums.
Oil Pulling: Miracle Cure or Oily Mess?|DailyBurn|March 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ahmad claims that four plainclothes officers cuffed him to a chair, jammed open his mouth, and electrocuted his gums.
Assad’s House of Torture|Anna Therese Day|October 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Sometimes it may be necessary to scarify the gums, or to apply leeches to them.
Popular Technology, Vol. I (of 2)|Edward Hazen
The gum on the whole lower jaw may become inflamed, and a yellow band of ulceration may appear along the gums.
The Home Medical Library, Volume II (of VI)|Various
The doctor lanced his gums this morning, as if he was a baby, and I saw the teeth all ready to be born, as it were.
All the Days of My Life: An Autobiography|Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
Always brush away from the gums; that is, brush the upper teeth down, and the lower teeth up.
Scouting For Girls, Official Handbook of the Girl Scouts|Girl Scouts
The perfectly formed teeth are not much more worn than those which had never pierced the gums.
The Archaeology and Prehistoric Annals of Scotland|Daniel Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for gums

GUM

abbreviation for

genitourinary medicine

gum

/ (ɡʌm) /

noun

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

NZ short for kauri gum

See chewing gum, bubble gum, gumtree

mainly British a gumdrop

verb gums, gumming or gummed

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

Word Origin for gum

C14: from Old French gomme, from Latin gummi, from Greek kommi, from Egyptian kemai

gum

/ (ɡʌm) /

noun

the fleshy tissue that covers the jawbones around the bases of the teethTechnical name: gingiva Related adjective: gingival

Word Origin for gum

Old English gōma jaw; related to Old Norse gōmr, Middle High German gūme, Lithuanian gomurīs

gum

/ (ɡʌm) /

noun

used in the mild oath by gum!

Word Origin for gum

C19: euphemism for God

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 gums

gum

n.1

"resin," c.1300, from Old French gome "(medicinal) gum, resin," from Late Latin gumma, from Latin gummi, from Greek kommi "gum," from Egyptian kemai. As a shortened form of chewing gum, first attested 1842 in American English. The gum tree (1670s) was so called for the resin it exudes.

gum

n.2

"membranes of the mouth," Old English goma "palate, side of the mouth" (single or plural), from a Germanic source represented by Old Norse gomi "palate," Old High German goumo; related to Lithuanian gomurys "palate," and perhaps from PIE *gheu- "to yawn" (cf. Greek khaos; see chaos).

gum

early 14c., gommen, "treat with (medicinal or aromatic) gums," from gum (n.1). In the transferred or figurative sense of "spoil, ruin" (usually with up), it is first recorded 1901, probably from the notion of machinery becoming clogged. Of infants, etc., "to chew or gnaw (something) with the gums," by 1907, from gum (n.2). Related: Gummed; gumming.

Science definitions for gums

gum

[ gŭm ]

Any of various sticky substances that are produced by certain plants and trees and dry into brittle solids soluble in water. Gums typically are colloidal mixtures of polysaccharides and mineral salts.

gum

[ gŭm ]

See gingiva.

gum

noun

verb (used with object), gummed, gum·ming.

verb (used without object), gummed, gum·ming.

Verb Phrases

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of gum

gum

noun

verb (used with object), gummed, gum·ming.

Origin of gum

Examples from the Web for gums

GUM

abbreviation for

gum

noun

verb gums, gumming or gummed

Word Origin for gum

gum

noun

Word Origin for gum

gum

noun

Word Origin for gum

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