gutta-percha

American  

[guht-uh-pur-chuh] / ˈgʌt əˈpɜr tʃə /

noun

1. the milky juice, nearly white when pure, of various Malaysian trees of the sapodilla family, especially Palaquium gutta.

2. the tough, rubberlike gum made from this and used as a dental cement, in the manufacture of golf balls, for insulating electric wires, etc.

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gutta-percha British  

/ ˈɡʌtəˈpɜːtʃə /

noun

1. any of several tropical trees of the sapotaceous genera Palaquium and Payena, esp Palaquium gutta

2. a whitish rubber substance derived from the coagulated milky latex of any of these trees: used in electrical insulation and dentistry

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Etymology

Origin of gutta-percha

1835–45; < Malay gətah (spelling getah ) tree sap + perca rag, strip of cloth; perhaps so called from the appearance of the sap ( Malay getah taban ) in its marketed form

Example Sentences

After Sanjiv was anesthetized, Sievers removed pulp from the pulp cavity inside the tooth, disinfected the area and then filled it with a rubberlike material called gutta-percha to make a watertight seal.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 16, 2024

Demand for gutta-percha, an early bio-based resin used to insulate telegraph cables for the administration of the British Empire, led to widespread deforestation in Southeast Asia.

From Washington Post • Jan. 14, 2022

Now, if Fowler really wants to impress, he'll use a balata or gutta-percha ball for his next driving exhibition.

From Golf Digest • Jan. 13, 2017

The evening after Tom Watson’s British Open victory at Muirfield in 1980, North said, he, Watson and Ben Crenshaw walked out on the course with gutta-percha balls and wood-shafted clubs for a friendly competition.

From New York Times • Jul. 16, 2013

I have obtained two kinds of gutta-percha wire known in commerce: in one the insulation sticks tightly to the metal, in the other it does not.

From The inventions, researches and writings of Nikola Tesla With special reference to his work in polyphase currents and high potential lighting by Martin, Thomas Commerford