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noun

any of various viscid, amorphous exudations from plants, hardening on exposure to air and soluble in or forming a viscid mass with water.

any of various similar exudations, as resin.

a preparation of such a substance, as for use in the arts or bookbinding.

chewing gum.

mucilage; glue.

rubber¹ ( def 1 ).

gum tree.

Philately. the adhesive by which a postage stamp is affixed. Compare o.g ( def 1 ).

Informal. a rubber overshoe or boot.

verb (used with object)

10.

to smear, stiffen, or stick together with gum.

11.

to clog with or as if with some gummy substance.

00:10

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the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.

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verb (used without object)

12.

to exude or form gum.

13.

to become gummy.

14.

to become clogged with a gummy substance.

Verb phrases

15.

gum up, Slang. to spoil or ruin.

Idioms

16.

gum up the works. work ( def 50 ).

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English gomme < Old French < Vulgar Latin *gumma, for Latin gummi, cummi < Greek kómmi

Related forms

gum·less, adjective

gum·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins

World English Dictionary

gum¹ (ɡʌm)

—n
1.	any of various sticky substances that exude from certain plants, hardening on exposure to air and dissolving or forming viscous masses in water
2.	any of various products, such as adhesives, that are made from such exudates
3.	any sticky substance used as an adhesive; mucilage; glue
4.	(NZ) short for kauri gum
5.	chewing gum bubble gum See gumtree
6.	chiefly (Brit) a gumdrop

—vb , gums, gumming, gummed
7.	to cover or become covered, clogged, or stiffened with or as if with gum
8.	(tr) to stick together or in place with gum
9.	(intr) to emit or form gum

[C14: from Old French gomme, from Latin gummi, from Greek kommi, from Egyptian kemai]

'gumless¹

—*adj*

'gumlike¹

—*adj*

gum² (ɡʌm)

—n
	Technical name: gingiva the fleshy tissue that covers the jawbones around the bases of the teethRelated: gingival

Related: gingival

[Old English gōma jaw; related to Old Norse gōmr, Middle High German gūme, Lithuanian gomurīs]

gum³ (ɡʌm)

—n
	used in the mild oath by gum!

[C19: euphemism for God]

GUM

—*abbreviation for*
	genitourinary medicine

gum up

—vb
1.	to cover, dab, or stiffen with gum
2.	informal to make a mess of; bungle (often in the phrase gum up the works)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

gum

"resin," c.1300, from O.Fr. gomme, from L.L. gumma, from L. gummi, from Gk. kommi "gum," from Egyptian kemai. The verb, in the transferred fig. sense of "spoil, ruin" (usually with up) is first recorded 1901, probably from the notion of machinery becoming clogged. As a shortened form of chewing gum,

first attested 1842 in Amer.Eng.; gumshoe "plainclothes detective" is from 1906, from the rubber-soled shoes they wore (which were so called from 1863). Gum-tree (1676) was so called for the resin it exudes.

gum

"membranes of the mouth," from O.E. goma "palate," from a Gmc. source represented by O.N. gomi "palate," O.H.G. goumo, related to Lith. gomurys "palate," and perhaps from PIE *gheu- "to yawn" (cf. Gk. khaos, see chaos).

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

gum ¹ (gŭm)
n.

Any of various viscous substances that are exuded by certain plants and trees and dry into water-soluble, noncrystalline, brittle solids.
A similar plant exudate, such as a resin.
Any of various adhesives made from such exudates or other sticky substance.

gum ²
n.
The firm connective tissue covered by mucous membrane that envelops the alveolar arches of the jaw and surrounds the bases of the teeth. Also called gingiva. v. gummed, gum·ming, gums
To chew food with toothless gums.

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

gum¹

(gŭm) Pronunciation Key
Any of various sticky substances that are produced by certain plants and trees and dry into brittle solids soluble in water. Gums typically are colloidal mixtures of polysaccharides and mineral salts.

gum²

(gŭm) Pronunciation Key
See gingiva.

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

gum up

Ruin or bungle something, as in The front office has gummed up the sales campaign thoroughly. This idiom is also put as gum up the works, as in John's changes in procedures have gummed up the works in the shipping department. [Slang; c. 1900]

Matching Quote

"Now look, Winocki. There are two other men on this ship who washed up as pilots. But Martin's a bombardier and Hauser went in for navigation. And they're both good. You're a good gunner or you wouldn't have the rating you've got. We need you just like we need the whole gang. It takes all of us to make this ship function. Now get this into your head. We all belong to this airplane. Every man has got to rely on every other man to do the right thing at the right time. You played football, Winocki. You know how one man can gum up the works. You gotta play ball with us and play the game, or I'm gonna have to get rid of you."

-Dudley Nichols

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