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Added 8 October 2026

gum

/ɡʌm/ noun

Categories: Food & DrinkThe BodyUncommon Words

In Latin: gingīva Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about gum at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A preparation (usually made of sweetened chicle) for chewing.
  2. The tissue (covered by mucous membrane) of the jaws that surrounds the bases of the teeth.
  3. Any of various substances (soluble in water) that exude from certain plants; they are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying.

verb

  1. Cover, fill, fix or smear with or as if with gum.
    if you gum the tape it is stronger
  2. Grind with the gums; chew without teeth and with great difficulty.
    the old man had no teeth left and mumbled his food
  3. Become sticky.

Origin

From Middle English gom, gome, gomme, goome, gum, gume, gumme, from Old English gōma (“palate”), from Proto-West Germanic *gōmō, from Proto-Germanic *gaumô, *gōmô (“palate”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₂- (“to gape, yawn”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: gingivamucilagegluemumblegumwoodxanthanchewingchewerplasticrubber

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