liquidambar

[ lik-wid-am-ber, lik-wid-am- ]

/ ˈlɪk wɪdˌæm bər, ˌlɪk wɪdˈæm- /

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noun

any tree of the genus Liquidambar, including the sweet gum.

the fragrant, yellowish, balsamic liquid exuded by this tree, used in medicine.Compare storax (def. 2).

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Origin of liquidambar

1590–1600; <New Latin: genus name. See liquid, amber

Words nearby liquidambar

liquesce, liquescent, liqueur, liquid, liquid air, liquidambar, liquid asset, liquidate, liquidation, liquidator, liquid compass

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

How to use liquidambar in a sentence

Be this as it may, there are times when I sincerely long for a ball of liquidambar or a mouthful of pungent spring buds.
Lippincott's Magazine, August, 1885|Various
But a word more about the liquidambar—the name by which I hope the tree we are discussing may be talked of and thought of.
Getting Acquainted with the Trees|J. Horace McFarland
Liquidambar refers to gums excreted by the tree and sometimes used in medicine.
The Principal Species of Wood: Their Characteristic Properties|Charles H. (Charles Henry) Snow
Those found in commerce are the balsam of Peru, balsam of Tolu, liquid storax and liquidambar.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2|Various

Liquid storax or styrax preparatus, is a balsam yielded by Liquidambar orientalis, a native of Asia Minor.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for liquidambar

liquidambar

/ (ˌlɪkwɪdˈæmbə) /

noun

any deciduous tree of the hamamelidaceous genus Liquidambar, of Asia and North and Central America, with star-shaped leaves, and exuding a yellow aromatic balsamSee also sweet gum

the balsam of this tree, used in medicineSee also storax (def. 1)

Word Origin for liquidambar

C16: New Latin, from Latin liquidus liquid + Medieval Latin ambar amber

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