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noun
1.
any of various viscid, amorphous exudations from plants, hardening on exposure to air and soluble in or forming a viscid mass with water.
2.
any of various similar exudations, as resin.
3.
a preparation of such a substance, as for use in the arts or bookbinding.
5.
EXPANDmucilage; glue.
verb (used with object)
10.
to smear, stiffen, or stick together with gum.
11.
to clog with or as if with some gummy substance.
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Gum up
is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
verb (used without object)
Verb phrase12.
to exude or form gum.
13.
to become gummy.
14.
to become clogged with a gummy substance.
15.
Idiomgum up, Slang. to spoil or ruin.
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
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. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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|
Link To gum up
Collins
World English Dictionary
| 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
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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
"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).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
gum 2  (gŭm) Pronunciation Key
See gingiva. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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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]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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