| gum | The dense tissues which invest the teeth, and cover the adjacent parts of the jaws. <medicine> Gum rash, strophulus in a teething child; red gum. Gum stick, a smooth hard substance for children to bite upon while teething. Origin: OE. Gome, AS. Gama palate; akin Co G. Gaumen, OHG. Goumo, guomo, Icel. Gmr, Sw. Gom; cf. Gr. To gape. 1. A vegetable secretion of many trees or plants that hardens when it exudes, but is soluble in water; as, gum arabic; gum tragacanth; the gum of the cherry tree. Also, with less propriety, exudations that are not soluble in water; as, gum copal and gum sandarac, which are really resins. 2. <botany> See Gum tree, below. 3. A hive made of a section of a hollow gum tree; hence, any roughly made hive; also, a vessel or bin made of a hollow log. 4. A rubber overshoe. Black gum, Blue gum, British gum, etc. See Black, Blue, etc. Gum Acaroidea, the resinous gum of the Australian grass tree (Xanlhorrhoea). <zoology> Gum animal, the galago of West Africa; so called because it feeds on gums. See Galago. Gum animi or anime. See Anime. Gum arabic, a gum yielded mostly by several species of Acacia (chiefly A. Vera and A. Arabica) growing in Africa and Southern Asia; called also gum acacia. East Indian gum arabic comes from a tree of the Orange family which bears the elephant apple. Gum butea, a gum yielded by the Indian plants Butea frondosa and B. Superba, and used locally in tanning and in precipitating indigo. Gum cistus, a plant of the genus Cistus (Cistus ladaniferus), a species of rock rose. Gum dragon. See Tragacanth. Gum elastic, Elastic gum. See Caoutchouc. Gum elemi. See Elemi. Gum juniper. See Sandarac. Gum kino. See Kino. Gum lac. See Lac. Gum Ladanum, a fragrant gum yielded by several Oriental species of Cistus or rock rose. Gum passages, sap receptacles extending through the parenchyma of certain plants (Amygdalaceae, Cactaceae, etc), and affording passage for gum. Gum pot, a varnish maker's utensil for melting gum and mixing other ingredients. Gum resin, the milky juice of a plant solidified by exposure to air; one of certain inspissated saps, mixtures of, or having properties of, gum and resin; a resin containing more or less mucilaginous and gummy matter. Gum sandarac. See Sandarac. Gum Senegal, a gum similar to gum arabic, yielded by trees (Acacia Verek and A. Adansonia) growing in the Senegal country, West Africa. Gum tragacanth. See Tragacanth. Gum tree, the name given to several trees in America and Australia: The black gum (Nyssa multiflora), one of the largest trees of the Southern States, bearing a small blue fruit, the favorite food of the opossum. most of the large trees become hollow. A tree of the genus Eucalyptus. See Eucalpytus. The sweet gum tree of the United States (Liquidambar styraciflua), a large and beautiful tree with pointedly lobed leaves and woody burlike fruit. It exudes an aromatic terebinthine juice. Gum water, a solution of gum, especially. Of gum arabic, in water. Gum wood, the wood of any gum tree, esp. The wood of the Eucalyptus piperita, of new South Wales. Origin: OE. Gomme, gumme, F. Gomme, L. Gummi and commis, fr. Gr, prob. From an Egyptian form kam; cf. It. Gomma. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| gum ammoniac | <medicine> The concrete juice (gum resin) of an umbelliferous plant, the Dorema ammoniacum. It is brought chiefly from Persia in the form of yellowish tears, which occur singly, or are aggregated into masses. It has a peculiar smell, and a nauseous, sweet taste, followed by a bitter one. It is inflammable, partially soluble in water and in spirit of wine, and is used in medicine as an expectorant and resolvent, and for the formation of certain plasters. Origin: L. Ammoniacum, Gr. A resinous gum, said to distill from a tree near the temple of Jupiter Ammon; cf. F. Ammoniac. See Ammonite. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| gum arabic | <chemical> Powdered exudate from various acacia species, especially a. Senegal (leguminosae). It forms mucilage or syrup in water. Gum arabic is used as a suspending agent, excipient, and emulsifier in foods and pharmaceuticals. Pharmacological action: excipient. Chemical name: Gum arabic (12 Dec 1998) |
| gum benjamin | 1. A resinous substance, dry and brittle, obtained from the Styrax benzoin, a tree of Sumatra, Java, etc, having a fragrant odour, and slightly aromatic taste. It is used in the preparation of benzoic acid, in medicine, and as a perfume. 2. A white crystalline substance, C14H12O2, obtained from benzoic aldehyde and some other sources. 3. <botany> The spicebush (Lindera benzoin). Flowers of benzoin, benzoic acid. See Benzoic. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| gum contour | The shape or form of the gingiva, either natural or artificial, around the necks of the teeth. Synonym: gum contour. (05 Mar 2000) |
| gum disease | Inflammation of the soft tissue (gingiva) and abnormal loss of bone that surrounds the teeth and holds them in place. Gum disease is caused by toxins secreted by bacteria in plaque that accumulate over time along the gum line. This plaque is a mixture of food, saliva, and bacteria. Early symptoms of gum disease include gum bleeding without pain. Pain is a symptom of more advanced gum disease as the loss of bone around the teeth leads to the formation of gum pockets. Bacteria in these pockets cause gum infection, swelling, pain, and further bone destruction. Advanced gum disease can cause loss of otherwise healthy teeth. (12 Dec 1998) |
| gum lancet | A lancet used for incising the gum over the crown of an erupting tooth. (05 Mar 2000) |
| gum line | The position of the margin of the gingiva in relation to the teeth in the dental arch. (05 Mar 2000) |
| gum resection | Surgical excision of the gingiva at the level of its attachment, thus creating new marginal gingiva. This procedure is used to eliminate gingival or periodontal pockets or to provide an approach for extensive surgical interventions, and to gain access necessary to remove calculus within the pocket. (12 Dec 1998) |
| gum resin | The dry exudate from a number of plants, consisting of a mixture of a gum and a resin, the former soluble in water but not alcohol, the latter soluble in alcohol but not water. (05 Mar 2000) |
| wheat gum | <protein> The protein of wheat and other grains which gives to the dough its tough elastic character. (18 Nov 1997) |
| xanthan gum | <chemical> A polysaccharide gum often used in foods, it is synthesised (fermented) from glucose by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. (11 May 1997) |
| senegal gum | The gum of Acacia senegal. See: acacia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| starch gum | <chemistry> A translucent, gummy, amorphous substance, nearly tasteless and odorless, used as a substitute for gum, for sizing, etc, and obtained from starch by the action of heat, acids, or diastase. It is of somewhat variable composition, containing several carbohydrates which change easily to their respective varieties of sugar. It is so named from its rotating the plane of polarization to the right; called also British gum, Alsace gum, gommelin, leiocome, etc. See Achroodextrin, and Erythrodextrin. Origin: Cf. F. Dextrine, G. Dextrin. See Dexter. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| sterculia gum | The dried gummy exudation from Sterculia urens, S. Villosa, S. Tragacantha, or other species of Sterculia, or from Cochlospermum gossypium or other species of Cochlospermum (family Bixaceae); used as a hydrophilic laxative and in the manufacture of lotions and pastes. Synonym: karaya gum. (05 Mar 2000) |