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mastic
- 6 dictionary resultsmas⋅tic
[mas-tik] 
–noun
| 1. | Also called mastic tree, lentisk. a small Mediterranean tree, Pistacia lentiscus, of the cashew family, that is the source of an aromatic resin used in making varnish and adhesives. |
| 2. | any of several similar or related trees, as a pepper tree, Schinus molle, of western South America. |
| 3. | the resin obtained from the mastic. |
| 4. | any similar resin, esp. one yielded by other trees of the same genus. |
| 5. | Building Trades.
|
Origin:
1350–1400; ME mastyk < L mastichē < Gk mastíchē chewing gum, akin to mastichân to gnash the teeth
1350–1400; ME mastyk < L mastichē < Gk mastíchē chewing gum, akin to mastichân to gnash the teeth
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To mastic
| mas·tic (mās'tĭk) n.
[Middle English, mastic resin, from Old French mastich, from Latin mastichum, mastichē, from Greek mastikhē, chewing gum, mastic, from mastikhān, to grind the teeth.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Mastic
Mas"tic\, n. [F., fr. L. mastiche, mastichum, Gr. ?, fr. ? to chew, because of its being used in the East for chewing.] [Written also mastich.]1. (Bot.) A low shrubby tree of the genus Pistacia (P. Lentiscus), growing upon the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean, and producing a valuable resin; -- called also, mastic tree. 2. A resin exuding from the mastic tree, and obtained by incision. The best is in yellowish white, semitransparent tears, of a faint smell, and is used as an astringent and an aromatic, also as an ingredient in varnishes. 3. A kind of cement composed of burnt clay, litharge, and linseed oil, used for plastering walls, etc. Barbary mastic (Bot.), the Pistachia Atlantica. Peruvian mastic tree (Bot.), a small tree (Schinus Molle) with peppery red berries; -- called also pepper tree. West Indian mastic (Bot.), a lofty tree (Bursera gummifera) full of gum resin in every part.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : mastic
Spanish:
masilla,
German:
der Kitt,
Japanese:
パテ
mastic
"resin obtained from certain trees," 1373, from O.Fr. mastic, from L.L. mastichum, from L. mastiche, from Gk. mastikhe, probably related to masasthai "to chew" (see mastication). The substance is used as a chewing gum in the East.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: mas·tic
Pronunciation: 'mas-tik
Function: noun
: an aromatic resinous exudation obtained usually in the form of yellowish to greenishlustrous 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)
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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mastic
aromatic resin, obtained as a soft exudation from incisions in mastic trees. It is used chiefly to make pale varnishes for protecting metals and paintings. When dispersed in bodied (thickened by heating) linseed oil, mastic is known as megilp and is used as a colour vehicle. Mastic is also used as an adhesive in dental work
Learn more about mastic with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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