gum

1. 1. Any of various viscous substances that are exuded by certain plants and trees and dry into water-soluble, noncrystalline, brittle solids.
   2. A similar plant exudate, such as a resin.
   3. Any of various adhesives made from such exudates or other sticky substance.
2. A substance resembling the viscous substance exuded by certain plants, as in stickiness.
3. 1. Any of various trees of the genera Eucalyptus, Liquidambar, or Nyssa that are sources of gum. Also called gum tree.
   2. The wood of such a tree; gumwood.
4. Chewing gum.

1. To exude or form gum.
2. To become sticky or clogged.

gum up

1. To ruin or bungle: gum up the works.

[Middle English gomme, from Old French, from Late Latin gumma, variant of Latin gummi, cummi, from Greek kommi, perhaps from Egyptian ḳmj-t.]

For more information on gum, visit Britannica.com.

A class of high-molecular-weight molecules, usually with colloidal properties, which in an appropriate solvent or swelling agent are able to produce gels at low dry-substance content. The molecules are either hydrophilic or hydrophobic. The term gum is applied to a wide variety of substances of gummy characteristics, and therefore cannot be precisely defined. See also Gel.

Various rubbers are considered to be gums, as are many synthetic polymers, high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons, or other petroleum products. Chicle for chewing gum is an example of a hydrophobic polymer which is termed a gum but is not frequently classified among the gums. Quite often listed among the gums are the hydrophobic resinous saps that often exude from plants and are commercially tapped in balsam (gum balsam) and other evergreen trees (gum resin). Incense gums such as myrrh and frankincense are likewise fragrant plant exudates.

Usually, however, the term gum, as technically employed in industry, refers to plant polysaccharides or their derivatives. Modern usage of the term includes water-soluble derivatives of cellulose and derivatives and modifications of other polysaccharides which in the natural form are insoluble. Usage, therefore, also includes with gums the ill-defined group of plant slimes called mucilages. See also Colloid; Polysaccharide.

Gums are used in foods as stabilizers and thickeners. They form viscous solutions which prevent aggregation of the small particles of the dispersed phase. In this way they aid in keeping solids dispersed in chocolate milk, air in whipping cream, and fats in salad dressings. Gum solutions also retard crystal growth in ice cream (ice crystals) and in confections (sugar crystals). Their thickening and stabilizing properties make them useful in water-base paints, printing inks, and drilling muds. Because of these properties they also are used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals as emulsifiers or bases for ointments, greaseless creams, toothpastes, lotions, demulcents, and emollients. The adhesive properties of gums make them useful in the production of cardboard, postage stamps, gummed envelopes, and as pill binders. Other applications include the production of dental impression molds, fibers (alginate rayon), soluble surgery films and gauze, blood anticoagulants, plasma extenders, beverage-clarifying agents, bacteriological culture media, half-cell bridges, and tungsten-wire-drawing lubricants.

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - gummi, harpiks, tyggegummi, slim i øjenkrogen
v. tr. - fuppe, gummiere, behandle med gummi, klæbe fast, snyde
v. intr. - udsvede harpiks, blive klæbrig

idioms:

• gum arabic    gummi arabicum
• gum boots    gummistøvler
• gum tree    gummitræ, eucalyptus
• gum up    sabotere
• up a gum tree    i knibe

2.
n. - gumme, tandkød
v. tr. - tygge med gummerne

idioms:

• gum disease    sygdom i gummerne

3.

idioms:

• by gum    saftsuseme!, spilleme!

abbr. - genitourinary medicine

Nederlands (Dutch)
tandvlees, kauwgom, (Arabische) gom, lijm, rubberlaars, gommen, gom afgeven (boom), met het tandvlees kauwen, ruimte tussen zaagtanden vergroten

Français (French)
1.
n. - chewing-gum, colle, gomme (d'un arbre)
v. tr. - gommer, coller (à, sur, ensemble)
v. intr. - exsuder de la gomme, devenir gluant, se boucher (avec une substance gommeuse), abîmer, bousiller

idioms:

• gum arabic    gomme arabique
• gum boots    bottes en caoutchouc
• gum tree    gommier
• gum up    coller
• up a gum tree    (être) en position délicate

2.
n. - (Anat) gencive
v. tr. - mastiquer avec les gencives

idioms:

• gum disease    gingivite

3.

idioms:

• by gum    nom d'un chien

abbr. - médecine génito-urinaire

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Zahnfleisch
v. - gummieren, kleben

idioms:

• gum arabic    Gummiarabikum
• gum boots    Gummistiefel
• gum tree    Gummibaum
• gum up    verkleben, (ugs.) vermasseln
• up a gum tree    in der Klemme

2.
n. - Gummi, Kaugummi, Leim
v. - gummieren, kleben

idioms:

• gum disease    Zahnfleischerkrankung

3.

idioms:

• by gum    (ugs.) heiliger Strohsack, Teufel noch mal !

abbr. - (Med.) Urogenitalmedizin

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - γόμα, κόλλα, κόμμι, (φυσιολ.) ούλο, τσίχλα, μαστίχα, τσίμπλα
v. - γομάρω, κολλώ, τσιμπλιάζω

idioms:

• by gum    μα το Θεό!
• gum arabic    αραβικό(ν) κόμμι, δεντρόκολλα
• gum boots    γαλότσες
• gum disease    ουλίτιδα
• gum tree    (φυτολ.) κομμεόδενδρο
• gum up    επαλείφω με κόλλα, τσιμπλιάζω, (για έμβολο κ.λπ.) κολλώ, (καθομ.) χαλάω
• up a gum tree    βρίσκομαι σε δύσκολη θέση

Italiano (Italian)
gomma, gengive, gomma da masticare, colla

idioms:

• by gum    perbacco
• gum arabic    gomma arabica
• gum disease    gommosi
• gum tree    albero della gomma
• gum up    bloccare
• up a gum tree    in difficoltà

Português (Portuguese)
n. - goma (f), resina (f), cola (f), gengiva (f), borracha (f), seringueira (f) (Bot.)
v. - segregar látex, engomar, colar

idioms:

• by gum    Meu Deus!
• gum arabic    goma (f) arábica
• gum boots    botas (f pl) de borracha
• gum disease    gengivite
• gum tree    tipo de eucalipto (m) (Bot.)
• gum up    tampar alguma coisa com substância pegajosa
• up a gum tree    estar em uma situação difícil

Русский (Russian)
десна, клей, жевательная резинка, камедь, смолистое выделение, клейкое выделение во внутреннем углу глаза, склеивать, выделять смолу

idioms:

• by gum    Бьюсь об заклад!
• gum arabic    гуммиарабик
• gum boots    резиновый сапог
• gum disease    болезнь десен
• gum tree    камедное дерево
• gum up    засорять, застопориваться
• up a gum tree    в трудном положении

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - goma, caucho, resina
v. tr. - pegar con goma
v. intr. - exudar goma, volverse gomoso, pegotearse con una sustancia gomosa

idioms:

• gum arabic    goma arábiga
• gum boots    botas de agua o de lluvia
• gum tree    gomero
• gum up    estropear, paralizar, parar
• up a gum tree    estar en un lío

2.
n. - encía, chicle, goma de mascar
v. tr. - masticar la comida con encías sin dientes

idioms:

• gum disease    enfermedad de las encías

3.

idioms:

• by gum    ¡caray!

abbr. - Medicina génitourinaria

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - gummi, kåda, gelékaramell, tuggummi, galoscher, tandkött (anat.)
v. - gummera, fästa med gummi, lura, klibba (fast)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
齿龈, 橡胶, 树脂, 口香糖

1. 树胶, 树脂, 橡皮糖, 口香糖, 胶, 粘合剂, 橡胶树, 用胶涂, 欺骗, 粘合, 分泌树胶, 发粘

idioms:

• by gum    啊呀
• gum arabic    阿拉伯树胶
• gum boots    高统橡胶套鞋
• gum disease    牙周病
• gum tree    橡胶树
• gum up    用胶涂满, 粘住
• up a gum tree    进退维谷

2. 齿龈, 牙床, 用牙床咀嚼

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
abbr. - 齒齦, 橡膠, 樹脂, 口香糖

1.
n. - 齒齦, 牙床
v. tr. - 用牙床咀嚼

2.
n. - 樹膠, 樹脂, 橡皮糖, 口香糖, 膠, 粘合劑, 橡膠樹
v. tr. - 用膠塗, 欺騙, 粘合
v. intr. - 分泌樹膠, 發粘

idioms:

• by gum    啊呀
• gum arabic    阿拉伯樹膠
• gum boots    高統橡膠套鞋
• gum disease    牙周病
• gum tree    橡膠樹
• gum up    用膠塗滿, 粘住
• up a gum tree    進退維谷

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 수지, 고무, 껌, 눈꼽
v. tr. - 고무를 붙이다, 속이다, 잡담하다
v. intr. - 수액을 분비하다, 진득거리다

idioms:

• gum up    망치다
• up a gum tree    진퇴양난에 빠져

2.
n. - 잇몸
v. tr. - 이가 빠진 잇몸으로 씹다

3.

idioms:

• by gum    맹세하건대, 틀림 없이
• by gum    맹세하건대, 틀림 없이

abbr. - State Universal Store (모스크바 붉은 광장 앞의 국영 백화점)

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ゴム質, アラビア糊, ゴム糊, 糊, 樹脂, ガム, オーバーシューズ, 目やに, 歯肉, 歯ぐき, 弾性ゴム
v. - ゴムを塗る, だます, 目立てをする, 歯ぐきでかむ, ゴム質を分泌する, ゴム状になる

idioms:

• by gum    誓って
• chewing gum    チューインガム
• gum arabic    アラビアゴム
• gum boots    ゴム長靴
• gum disease    歯周病
• gum tree    ゴムの木, ゴムノキ, ユーカリ
• gum up    だめにする
• up a gum tree    進退きわまって

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) لثه, صمغ, علكه (فعل) يمضغ, يلصق بالصمغ‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮גומי, דבק, גומי-לעיסה, מסטיק, סוכריה, עץ-שרף, שרף-עצים‬
v. tr. - ‮מרח או כיסה בגומי, הדביק בדבק גומי, הפריש גומי‬
v. intr. - ‮להיות דביק כדבק גומי‬
n. - ‮הבשר המוצק סביב שורש השן‬
v. tr. - ‮לעס אוכל בחניכיים ולא בשניים, השחיז שניים של משור‬
n. - ‮שבועה‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.