gum [gumgumsgummedgumming] noun, verb BrE [ɡʌm] NAmE [ɡʌm] noun 1. countable, usually plural either of the firm areas of flesh in the mouth to which the teeth are attached •gum disease 2. uncountable a sticky substance produced by some types of tree 3. uncountable a type of glue used for sticking light things together, such as paper 4. uncountable = ↑chewing gum 5. countable a firm transparent fruit-flavoured sweet/candy that you chew •fruit gums
Word Origin: n. senses 2 to 5 and v. Middle English Old French gomme Latin gummi Greek kommi Egyptian kemai n. sense 1 Old English gōma ‘inside of the mouth or throat’ Germanic German Gaumen ‘roof of the mouth’ Idiom: ↑by gum! Derived: ↑gum something up
verb (-mm-)~ A to B | ~ sth (down) (rather old-fashioned) to spread glue on the surface of sth; to stick two things together with glue •A large address label was gummed to the package. Verb forms:
Word Origin: n. senses 2 to 5 and v. Middle English Old French gomme Latin gummi Greek kommi Egyptian kemai n. sense 1 Old English gōma ‘inside of the mouth or throat’ Germanic German Gaumen ‘roof of the mouth’
