gutta-percha
noun
gut·ta-per·cha
ˌgə-tə-ˈpər-chə 
: a tough plastic substance from the latex of several Malaysian trees (especially Palaquium gutta) of the sapodilla family that resembles rubber but contains more resin and is used especially as insulation and in dentistry as a permanent filling in root canals
Examples of gutta-percha in a Sentence
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Suddenly, Brooks began raining down blows on Sumner with a gutta-percha cane while an accomplice warded off lawmakers who tried to intervene.
—
Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
Elsewhere on the trophy, there are the original rules to soccer, from 1863, which include a proscription on players having nails, iron plates, or gutta-percha—a Malaysian rubberlike material, now used in root canals—protruding from their boots.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
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Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
Elsewhere on the trophy, there are the original rules to soccer, from 1863, which include a proscription on players having nails, iron plates, or gutta-percha—a Malaysian rubberlike material, now used in root canals—protruding from their boots.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gutta-percha.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gutta-percha. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
gutta-percha
noun
gut·ta-per·cha
ˌgət-ə-ˈpər-chə
: a tough plastic substance from the latex of several Malaysian trees (especially Palaquium gutta) of the sapodilla family (Sapotaceae) that resembles rubber but contains more resin and is used in dentistry especially as a permanent filling in root canals
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