Definition of tragacanth
: a gum obtained from various Asian or eastern European plants (genus Astragalus and especially A. gummifer) of the legume family that swells in water and is used chiefly as an emulsifying, suspending, or thickening agent
From the M-W Editors
Origin and Etymology of tragacanth
Middle French tragacanthe, from Latin tragacantha, from Greek tragakantha, from tragos goat + akantha thorn
First Known Use: 1558
Medical Dictionary
noun
trag·a·canth
\ˈtraj-ə-ˌkan(t)th, ˈtrag-, -kən(t)th; also ˈtrag-ə-ˌsan(t)th\
Medical Definition of tragacanth
: a gum obtained from various Asian or East European leguminous plants (genus Astragalus and especially A. gummifer) that swells in water and is used as an emulsifying, suspending, and thickening agent and as a demulcent—called also gum tragacanth, hog gum
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