gamboge

noun

gam·​boge gam-ˈbōj How to pronounce gamboge (audio) -ˈbüzh How to pronounce gamboge (audio)
1
: an orange to brown gum resin from southeast Asian trees (genus Garcinia) of the Saint-John's-wort family that is used as a yellow pigment and cathartic
2
: a strong yellow

Examples of gamboge in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In a palette of chartreuse, ocher, cinnamon and gamboge, Ito overlaid uncommon shapes, such as a rectangle rounded and pinched at the top like a loaf of Wonder Bread, into compositions of preternatural calm. Jason Farago, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gamboge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

earlier cambuge, gum-booge, latinized as cambogium, cambugium, perhaps borrowed from Portuguese Camboja cambodia, associated with the substance

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gamboge was in 1653

Dictionary Entries Near gamboge

Cite this Entry

“Gamboge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamboge. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

gamboge

noun
gam·​boge gam-ˈbōj How to pronounce gamboge (audio) -ˈbüzh How to pronounce gamboge (audio)
: an orange to brown gum resin from southeast Asian trees (genus Garcinia of the family Guttiferae) that is used as a yellow pigment and cathartic

called also cambogia

More from Merriam-Webster on gamboge

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!