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gypsum

noun
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gyp·​sum | \ ˈjip-səm How to pronounce gypsum (audio) \

Definition of gypsum

1 : a widely distributed mineral consisting of hydrous calcium sulfate that is used especially as a soil amendment and in making plaster of paris
2 : drywall

Examples of gypsum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web White Sands is home to a 176,000-acre gypsum dune field, the world’s largest. — Dallas News, "Get to know New Mexico’s White Sands, the country’s newest national park," 28 Jan. 2020 Home to the largest gypsum dunefield in the world, the monument sees hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, more than any other park service location in New Mexico. — Susan Montoya Bryan, USA TODAY, "White Sands monument one step closer to gaining national park status," 13 Dec. 2019 Wind and weather regularly blows the gypsum sands inside and outside the monument. — Washington Post, "Cowboys for Trump group now says sand wasn’t from monument," 7 Dec. 2019 Porter had grown up in the gypsum town of Fort Dodge, Iowa. — Sam Whiting, SFChronicle.com, "Jack Porter, historian and keeper of the National Aids Memorial Grove, dies at 81," 21 Nov. 2019 The ship, named the MV Bonita, was anchored and awaiting berth at the Cotonou port to discharge a shipment of gypsum when the pirates boarded, J.J. Ugland said in a statement Sunday. — Mitchell Mccluskey And Ralph Ellis, CNN, "Pirates kidnap nine crew members from cargo ship off coast of Benin," 3 Nov. 2019 Inside, the designers have chosen a resilient gypsum fiberboard, minimizing steel needs and thereby reducing carbon emissions by 650 tons. — Jennifer Fernandez, House Beautiful, "The Lego Headquarters Is Made with—What Else?—Giant Legos," 1 Nov. 2019 Replacing drywall makes sense because mildew can feed on the paper that covers both sides of drywall’s gypsum core and because drywall is relatively inexpensive to replace. — Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, "The leak’s been fixed. So why does it still smell like mildew?," 23 Sep. 2019 Walls are stone or stained wood, or those layered in gypsum plaster are colorized with beeswax and natural minerals. — Janet Eastman, oregonlive, "Cannon Beach house with a garden roof was born to be green," 22 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gypsum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of gypsum

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for gypsum

Latin, from Greek gypsos

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Time Traveler for gypsum

Time Traveler

The first known use of gypsum was in the 14th century

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Statistics for gypsum

Last Updated

14 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Gypsum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gypsum. Accessed 20 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for gypsum

gypsum

noun
How to pronounce gypsum (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of gypsum

: a white mineral that is used to make plaster of paris

See the full definition for gypsum in the English Language Learners Dictionary

gypsum

noun
gyp·​sum | \ ˈjip-səm How to pronounce gypsum (audio) \

Medical Definition of gypsum

: a widely distributed mineral CaSO4·2H2O consisting of hydrous calcium sulfate that is used especially as a soil amendment and in making plaster of paris

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More from Merriam-Webster on gypsum

Spanish Central: Translation of gypsum

Nglish: Translation of gypsum for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of gypsum for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gypsum

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