WordWeb Online

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

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