mastic

noun

mas·​tic ˈma-stik 

1

: an aromatic resinous exudate from mastic trees used chiefly in varnishes

2

: any of various pasty materials used as protective coatings or cements

Examples of mastic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The damage uncovered Contractors discovered the extent of the deterioration in January after removing tile and black mastic from Aviator’s kitchen floor. — Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026

Somewhere out there, Whitney is looking at himself in the mirror, applying mastic to a fake beard. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2026

Here, herbalists sell rare ingredients like ambrosia, gum mastic, and oud susin (orris root) from the High Atlas. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2025

In fact, the fall is an excellent time to witness the harvest of mastic or mastiha, a resin tapped from an evergreen shrub here, which has been renowned since the time of Hippocrates, who used it for digestive issues and as a breath freshener. — Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 21 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mastik, from Latin mastiche, from Greek mastichē, probably back-formation from mastichan

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mastic

• mastic tree

Rhymes for mastic

• clastic
• drastic
• plastic
• spastic
• aeroelastic
• ecclesiastic
• elastoplastic
• enthusiastic
• iconoclastic
• interscholastic
• megaloblastic
• osteoblastic

Kids Definition

mastic

noun

mas·​tic ˈmas-tik 

: a yellow or greenish substance that oozes from cuts in the bark of a southern European tree and is used in varnish

Medical Definition

mastic

noun

mas·​tic ˈmas-tik 

: an aromatic resinous exudation obtained usually in the form of yellowish to greenish lustrous transparent brittle tears from incisions in a small southern European tree (Pistacia lentiscus) of the sumac family and used chiefly in varnishes (as for lining dental cavities)