gum

1 of 4

noun (1)

: the tissue that surrounds the necks of teeth and covers the alveolar parts of the jaws
broadly : the alveolar portion of a jaw with its enveloping soft tissues

gum

2 of 4

verb (1)

gummed; gumming

transitive verb

1
: to enlarge gullets of (a saw)
2
: to chew with the gums

gum

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
a
: any of numerous colloidal polysaccharide substances of plant origin that are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying and are salts of complex organic acids compare mucilage sense 1
b
: any of various plant exudates (such as an oleoresin or gum resin)
2
: a substance or deposit resembling a plant gum (as in sticky or adhesive quality)
3
a
: a tree (such as a black gum) that yields gum
b
Australia : eucalyptus
4
: the wood or lumber of a gum
especially : that of the sweet gum
5

gum

4 of 4

verb (2)

gummed; gumming

transitive verb

: to clog, impede, or damage with or as if with gum
gum up the works

intransitive verb

1
: to exude or form gum
2
: to become gummy
gummer noun

Examples of gum in a Sentence

Verb (2) pipes gummed up with cooking grease
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Clean out your daily-use bag Has your daily-use bag become a catch-all for crumpled receipts, gum wrappers, and stray household items? Shira Gill, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024 Symptoms of scurvy include swollen or bleeding gums, loose teeth, fatigue, bruising, wounds that won’t heal, skin discoloration and infections. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
His government runs interference for Moscow, gumming up European and trans-Atlantic efforts to combat Russia’s unlawful aggression at every turn. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 16 Oct. 2024 Congress also has a role in reforming the many mandates, such as Sarbanes-Oxley, that have gummed up capital formation in public markets. John Berlau, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gum 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English gome, from Old English gōma palate; akin to Old High German guomo palate, and perhaps to Greek chaos abyss

Noun (2)

Middle English gomme, from Middle French, from Latin cummi, gummi, from Greek kommi, from Egyptian qmyt

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1597, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of gum was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near gum

Cite this Entry

“Gum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gum. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

gum

1 of 3 noun
: the tissue along the jaws of animals that surrounds the necks of the teeth

gum

2 of 3 noun
1
: any of numerous complex sticky colloidal substances (as gum arabic) that are obtained from plants, harden on drying, and are either soluble in water or swell up in contact with water and that are used in preparing some drugs, for adhesives, as food thickeners, and in inks
also : any of various gummy plant substances including natural resins, rubber, and rubberlike substances
2
: a substance resembling a plant gum (as in stickiness)
3
: a tree that yields a gum
4

gum

3 of 3 verb
gummed; gumming
1
: to smear, seal, or clog with or as if with gum
2
: to cause not to work properly
gum up the works
Etymology

Noun

Old English gōma "roof of the mouth, palate"

Noun

Middle English gomme "plant gum," from early French gomme (same meaning), from Latin cummi, gummi (same meaning), derived from Egyptian qmyt "plant gum"

Medical Definition

gum

1 of 3 noun
: the tissue that surrounds the necks of teeth and covers the alveolar parts of the jaws
broadly : the alveolar portion of a jaw with its enveloping soft tissues

gum

2 of 3 transitive verb
gummed; gumming
: to chew with the gums

gum

3 of 3 noun
1
: any of numerous colloidal polysaccharide substances of plant origin that are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying and are salts of complex organic acids compare mucilage
2
: any of various plant exudates (as a mucilage, oleoresin, or gum resin)

More from Merriam-Webster on gum

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