gum

1 of 4

noun (1)

: the tissue that surrounds the necks of teeth and covers the alveolar parts of the jaws
broadly : the alveolar portion of a jaw with its enveloping soft tissues

gum

2 of 4

verb (1)

gummed; gumming

transitive verb

1
: to enlarge gullets of (a saw)
2
: to chew with the gums

gum

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
a
: any of numerous colloidal polysaccharide substances of plant origin that are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying and are salts of complex organic acids compare mucilage sense 1
b
: any of various plant exudates (such as an oleoresin or gum resin)
2
: a substance or deposit resembling a plant gum (as in sticky or adhesive quality)
3
a
: a tree (such as a black gum) that yields gum
b
Australia : eucalyptus
4
: the wood or lumber of a gum
especially : that of the sweet gum
5

gum

4 of 4

verb (2)

gummed; gumming

transitive verb

: to clog, impede, or damage with or as if with gum
gum up the works

intransitive verb

1
: to exude or form gum
2
: to become gummy
gummer noun

Examples of gum in a Sentence

Verb (2) pipes gummed up with cooking grease
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The formula is made with carbamide peroxide, which is more gentle on the teeth and gums compared to other whitening methods. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 15 May 2024 Other food at home, such as sugar, candy, gum, fats, and salad dressing, increased by 0.1%. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 15 May 2024 Whitening with hydrogen peroxide is a temporary effect, but use of the chemical is not intended to be long term because constant, consistent exposure can cause gum irritation and pain. San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2024 Simultaneously, the root continues its elongation to eventually launch off the crown from within the bone across the gum to appear in the mouth – the event known as teething. Samer Zaky, Discover Magazine, 10 May 2024 Studies show turmeric can be used to treat gingivitis and manage inflammation in the gums. Essence, 8 May 2024 Yes, angel, the appendage that takes up approximately two-thirds of your mouth deserves as much attention as your teeth and gums. Annie Blackman, Allure, 7 May 2024 The zippered front pocket is perfect for lip gloss and receipts while the larger two zippered pockets hold lotion, wallet, phone, gum, and more. Brittany Vanderbill, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2024 But according to the American Pregnancy Association, this symptom is due to hormonal changes that increase the blood flow to the gum tissue. Tiffany Eve Lawrence, Parents, 3 May 2024
Verb
His lungs were just totally ... gummed up, and like a mesh over them. Joel Rose, NPR, 2 May 2024 His team had hundreds of pieces, but the wet wood kept gumming up power sanders and slipping out of people’s hands. Allison Keeley, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2024 And that’s driven up prices and gummed up the market. Francesca Paris, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024 Now, experts and analysts worry that with generative AI, election deniers could mass-produce FOIA requests at an even greater rate, drowning the election workers legally obligated to reply to them in paperwork and gumming up the electoral process. Vittoria Elliott, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024 Political scientists say the growing partisan gridlock gumming up Washington over the past 20 years has created the conditions for states that are handily controlled by one party or the other, like Texas and California, to set off on their own. Got a news tip about the courts? Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Biden’s effort could well be slowed if, as widely expected, Republicans take control of the Senate and gum up the confirmation works. Jackie Calmes, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024 Singapore famously banned the sale, import and manufacturing of chewing gum in 1992, blaming the careless disposal of the substance on subways for gumming up service. By dee-Ann Durbin, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 Countries such as Hungary might even side with Russia while remaining in NATO, passing intelligence to Moscow, mocking the idea of a unified alliance, and gumming up European decisions that rely on consensus. Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 22 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English gome, from Old English gōma palate; akin to Old High German guomo palate, and perhaps to Greek chaos abyss

Noun (2)

Middle English gomme, from Middle French, from Latin cummi, gummi, from Greek kommi, from Egyptian qmyt

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1597, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of gum was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near gum

Cite this Entry

“Gum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gum. Accessed 19 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

gum

1 of 3 noun
: the tissue along the jaws of animals that surrounds the necks of the teeth

gum

2 of 3 noun
1
: any of numerous complex sticky colloidal substances (as gum arabic) that are obtained from plants, harden on drying, and are either soluble in water or swell up in contact with water and that are used in preparing some drugs, for adhesives, as food thickeners, and in inks
also : any of various gummy plant substances including natural resins, rubber, and rubberlike substances
2
: a substance resembling a plant gum (as in stickiness)
3
: a tree that yields a gum
4

gum

3 of 3 verb
gummed; gumming
1
: to smear, seal, or clog with or as if with gum
2
: to cause not to work properly
gum up the works
Etymology

Noun

Old English gōma "roof of the mouth, palate"

Noun

Middle English gomme "plant gum," from early French gomme (same meaning), from Latin cummi, gummi (same meaning), derived from Egyptian qmyt "plant gum"

Medical Definition

gum

1 of 3 noun
: the tissue that surrounds the necks of teeth and covers the alveolar parts of the jaws
broadly : the alveolar portion of a jaw with its enveloping soft tissues

gum

2 of 3 transitive verb
gummed; gumming
: to chew with the gums

gum

3 of 3 noun
1
: any of numerous colloidal polysaccharide substances of plant origin that are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying and are salts of complex organic acids compare mucilage
2
: any of various plant exudates (as a mucilage, oleoresin, or gum resin)

More from Merriam-Webster on gum

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