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mastic

 - 5 dictionary results

mas⋅tic

  [mas-tik]
Use mastic in a Sentence
–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.
a. any of various preparations containing bituminous materials and used as an adhesive or seal.
b. a pasty form of cement used for filling holes in masonry or plaster.
Origin:
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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mas·tic   (mās'tĭk)   
n.  

  1. The mastic tree.

  2. The aromatic resin of the mastic tree, used especially in varnishes, lacquers, adhesives, and condiments and as an astringent.

  3. A pastelike cement used in highway construction, especially one made with powdered lime or brick and tar.


[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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Word Origin & History

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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Medical Dictionary

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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Encyclopedia

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

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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