tragacanth

American  

[trag-uh-kanth, traj-] / ˈtræg əˌkænθ, ˈtrædʒ- /

noun

1. a gummy substance derived from various low, spiny, Asian shrubs belonging to the genus Astragalus, of the legume family, especially A. gummifer: used to impart firmness to pills and lozenges, stiffen calicoes, etc.

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tragacanth British  

/ ˈtræɡəˌkænθ /

noun

1. any of various spiny leguminous plants of the genus Astragalus , esp A. gummifer , of Asia, having clusters of white, yellow, or purple flowers, and yielding a substance that is made into a gum

2. the gum obtained from any of these plants, used in the manufacture of pills and lozenges, etc

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Etymology

Origin of tragacanth

1565–75; < Latin tragacantha goat's thorn < Greek tragákantha, equivalent to trág ( os ) goat + ákantha thorn. Cf. tragedy, acantho-

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tragacanth

They mixed blood plasma with a little sulfanilamide and some gum tragacanth to make a paste, used it on twelve second-degree burns.

From Time Magazine Archive

The leather is washed down with tragacanth and the previously impressed design picked out with white of egg and quickly tooled with tools medium to hot.

From Practical Bookbinding by Paul Adam

Large surfaces left plain are also washed with gum tragacanth, because this sizing leaves no lines behind.

From Practical Bookbinding by Paul Adam

Dragantin, dra-gan′tin, n. a mucilage obtained from gum tragacanth.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

If the tragacanth is not dissolved, let it remain half a day longer; if it is thick add more rose-water and let it remain for some hours.

From The Ladies Book of Useful Information Compiled from many sources by Anonymous

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