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

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The head of the brush is densely packed with over 5,000 soft or medium bristles to ensure your gums are getting a thorough cleaning. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024 Koplik spots, which are tiny white spots in the mouth, often on the inner cheeks, gums, and roof of the mouth that develop two to three days after symptoms begin. Detroit Free Press, 27 Feb. 2024 Greenies feature grooves to clean teeth down to the gum line and are flexible to ensure the treats don’t break upon the first bite. Andie Kanaras, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 Aventura cardiologist David Korn said when people have gum disease, plaques with bacteria form in the gums. Rebecca Savransky, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 While Reilly hoped that Beth would swap cigarettes for nicotine gum by the end of season five, the show's co-creator and head writer, Taylor Sheridan, doesn’t seem to have written that bit of character development into the script yet. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 29 Feb. 2024 The Overtime cocktail is made with rum, Galliano, Arabic gum, absinth, curry, lime, egg white and nutmeg. The Arizona Republic, 15 Feb. 2024 Later that same day, a large flock of common grackles stopped by and foraged in the backyard by flipping leaves and gum balls. Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 My teeth have never known this level of freshness, and the sensitivity other electric toothbrushes have caused my gums has never been an issue with the 9900. Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2024
Verb
Macdonald will try to keep the picture in front of Mahomes confusing, shifting coverages and using Hamilton and Pro Bowl linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen to gum up the middle of the field. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2024 In the past, Fox’s defender would be able to hedge off him, knowing Fox wasn’t a lethal 3-point threat like he’s become this year, and gum up the action. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 1 Feb. 2024 That soon changed as the Panthers gummed up the middle of the floor, deflected entry passes and forced jump balls. The Enquirer, 29 Jan. 2024 Yet for some reason, gumming up the smooth functioning of the mitochondria compelled the worms to live longer. Quanta Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024 With long-armed wings and a defense that switches at one of the league’s highest rates, the Nets induced the Clippers into their season-low shooting percentage in November and again gummed up their offense for three quarters. Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2024 Frequently Asked Questions Can gum damage a washing machine? Ann Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2023 Free from corn, soy, sugars, salts, or gumming agents, these treats prioritize the safety and well-being of your pet, ensuring a safe and effective anxiety relief option. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 4 July 2023 Striking plants have gummed up entire supply chains, causing thousands of layoffs in other factories. Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gum.' 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

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 28 Mar. 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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