gum

Pluralgums (some meanings)

Formsgums, gumming, gummed

1. 1
   noununcountable

   A soft, sweet thing you chew for a long time but do not swallow.

   Like a sweet you keep chewing instead of swallowing.

   She bought a pack of gum at the store.

   He chews gum to help himself focus during tests.

2. 2
   nouncountableplural

   The firm pink flesh that holds your teeth in place.

   Like the soil that holds a plant's roots firmly in place.

   The dentist saw that her gum was red and sore.

   His gums started bleeding when he flossed too hard.

   Note
3. 3
   nouncountable

   A single piece of the chewy sweet you chew but do not swallow.

   She offered me a gum from her bag.

   He popped a gum into his mouth before the meeting.

   Note
4. 4
   verbcolloquialtransitivewith up

   To stop something from working well.

   Like sticky tape jamming the wheels of a toy car.

   Too many rules can gum the system and slow everyone down.

   Dust will gum the machine if you never clean it.

   Similarclog, jam, foul, hamper, choke

   Note
5. 5
   noununcountable

   A sticky juice from some plants that turns hard and dry over time.

   Like sap that oozes from a tree and then dries hard.

   The tree leaked a sticky gum from a crack in its bark.

   Workers collected gum from the trees to make glue.

   Similarresin

   Note
6. 6
   noununcountable

   Any thick, sticky stuff that is like the gum from plants.

   A brown gum had built up around the bottle's cap.

   Old oil had dried to gum on the bike chain, so it was hard to pedal.

   Similarresidue, adhesive

   Note
7. 7
   nouncountable or uncountable

   A kind of tree, such as a eucalyptus, that gives off sticky sap.

   A tall gum stood at the edge of the field.

   They planted a row of gums along the driveway.

   Similareucalyptus

8. 8
   verbtransitive

   To chew something with your gums when you have no teeth.

   Like mashing food with your tongue instead of your teeth.

   The baby gummed a soft piece of bread.

   Without his dentures, Grandpa had to gum his food.

   Similarchew

9. 9
   verbtransitivewith up

   To put glue or something sticky onto a thing.

   She gummed the stamp and pressed it onto the envelope.

   Workers gum the labels before sticking them on jars.

   Similarglue, paste

   Note
10. 10
    verbtransitive

    To make cloth or paper stiff by using glue or gum.

    Tailors gum the collar to keep it firm.

    She gummed the fabric so it would hold its shape.

    Similarstiffen, starch, size

    Note

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