rosin

[ roz-in ]
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nounAlso called colophony.
  1. Chemistry. the yellowish to amber, translucent, hard, brittle, fragmented resin left after distilling the oil of turpentine from the crude oleoresin of the pine: used chiefly in making varnishes, varnish and paint driers, printing inks, and for rubbing on the bows of such string instruments as the violin.

verb (used with object)
  1. to cover or rub with rosin.

Origin of rosin

1
1300–50; Middle English <Old French, variant of resineresin

Other words from rosin

  • ros·in·y, adjective

Words that may be confused with rosin

Words Nearby rosin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use rosin in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rosin

rosin

/ (ˈrɒzɪn) /


noun
  1. Also called: colophony a translucent brittle amber substance produced in the distillation of crude turpentine oleoresin and used esp in making varnishes, printing inks, and sealing waxes and for treating the bows of stringed instruments

  2. (not in technical usage) another name for resin (def. 1)

verb
  1. (tr) to treat or coat with rosin

Origin of rosin

1
C14: variant of resin

Derived forms of rosin

  • rosiny, adjective

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