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(), n.[OE. gome, AS. gama palate; akin Co G. gaumen, OHG. goumo, guomo, Icel. gmr, Sw. gom; cf. Gr. to gape.] The dense tissues which invest the teeth, and cover the adjacent parts of the jaws. Gum rash (Med.), strophulus in a teething child; red gum. Gum stick, a smooth hard substance for children to bite upon while teething. Gum v. t.To deepen and enlarge the spaces between the teeth of (a worn saw). See Gummer. Gum n.[OE. gomme, gumme, F. gomme, L. gummi and commis, fr. Gr. , prob. from an Egyptian form kam; cf. It. gomma.] 1. A vegetable secretion of many trees or plants that hardens when it exudes, but is soluble in water; as, gum arabic; gum tragacanth; the gum of the cherry tree. Also, with less propriety, exudations that are not soluble in water; as, gum copal and gum sandarac, which are really resins. 2. (Bot.) See Gum tree, below. 3. A hive made of a section of a hollow gum tree; hence, any roughly made hive; also, a vessel or bin made of a hollow log. [Southern U. S.] 4. A rubber overshoe. [Local, U. S.] Black gum, Blue gum, British gum, etc. See under Black, Blue, etc. Gum Acaroidea, the resinous gum of the Australian grass tree (Xanlhorrha). Gum animal (Zol.), the galago of West Africa; -- so called because it feeds on gums. See Galago. Gum animi or anim. See Anim. Gum arabic, a gum yielded mostly by several species of Acacia (chiefly A. vera and Gum v. t.[imp. &. p.Gummed (); p. pr. & vb. n.Gumming.] To smear with gum; to close with gum; to unite or stiffen by gum or a gumlike substance; to make sticky with a gumlike substance. He frets like a gummed velvet. Shak. Gum v. i.To exude or from gum; to become gummy. Kauri resin gum, or copal}. A resinous product of the kauri, found in the form of yellow or brown lumps in the ground where the trees have grown. It is used for making varnish, and as a substitute for amber. スポンサード リンク
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