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Noun: gum  gúm
  1. A preparation (usually made of sweetened chicle) for chewing
    - chewing gum
     
  2. The tissue (covered by mucous membrane) of the jaws that surrounds the bases of the teeth
    - gingiva
     
  3. Any of various substances (soluble in water) that exude from certain plants; they are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying
     
  4. Cement consisting of a sticky substance that is used as an adhesive
    - glue, mucilage
     
  5. Wood or lumber from any of various gum trees especially the sweet gum
    - gumwood
     
  6. Any of various trees of the genera Eucalyptus, Liquidambar or Nyssa that are sources of gum
    - gum tree
Verb: gum (gummed,gumming)  gúm
  1. Cover, fill, fix or smear with or as if with gum
    "if you gum the tape it is stronger"
     
  2. Grind with the gums; chew without teeth and with great difficulty
    "the old man had no teeth left and gummed his food";
    - mumble
     
  3. Become sticky
     
  4. Exude or form gum
    "these trees gum in the spring"

Derived forms: gums, gummed, gumming

Type of: animal tissue, apply, cement, change, chew, confection, exudate, exudation, exude, jaw [informal], manducate, masticate, ooze, ooze out, put on, sweet, transude, tree, wood

Part of: cakehole [Brit, informal], gob [Brit, informal], hole [informal], kisser [informal], maw [informal], mouth, oral cavity, oral fissure, trap [informal], yap [N. Amer, informal]

Encyclopedia: Gum, Disease