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spirit gum

American  

noun

  1. a glue used in fastening false hair, as a beard or mustache, to an actor's skin.


spirit gum British  

noun

  1. a glue made from gum dissolved in ether used to stick a false beard, etc, onto the face

"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

Etymology

Origin of spirit gum

First recorded in 1890–95


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Fraser's win highlights a different Oscar voter tendency, one in which actors of average build are rewarded for disappearing inside of prosthetics and performing their hearts out through layers of spirit gum and latex.

From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2023

What else can I do that doesn’t involve spirit gum prosthetics?

From Slate ● Apr. 26, 2018

When I get my hair cut, I keep the clippings and chop them down very fine, and use a costume adhesive called spirit gum to attach it to my face.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 24, 2018

In the film’s opening scene, Bale’s Irv is gingerly applying spirit gum, trying to stick a not-exactly-top-quality toupee to his head.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 24, 2013

For one thing, my moustache, however sparse, was all mine; it hadn’t been put on with spirit gum.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

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