gum
$ \mathrm{gum}^1 |ɡəm|
noun
1. a viscous secretion of some trees and shrubs that hardens on drying but is soluble in water, and from which adhesives and other products are made. Compare with resin.
glue that is used for sticking paper or other light materials together.
2. short for chewing gum or bubblegum.
3. a gum tree, especially a eucalyptus. See also sweet gum.
4. North American dated another term for rain boot.
verb (gums, gumming, gummed) with object
cover with gum or glue:
e.g. we gummed the photos on to our papers.
fasten with gum or glue:
e.g. I was gumming small green leaves to a paper tree.
(gum something up) clog up a mechanism and prevent it from working properly:
e.g. open and close the valves to make sure they don't get gummed up
e.g. figurative : there was no winner and they debated the factors that could have gummed up the works.
ORIGIN
Middle English: from Old French gomme, based on Latin gummi, from Greek kommi, from Egyptian kemai.
$ \mathrm{gum}^2 |ɡəm|
https://gyazo.com/4d9a24860cafdadee82b83ee3af2cfe0
source: By Shaimaa Abdellatif - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
noun
the firm area of flesh around the roots of the teeth in the upper or lower jaw:
〖通例～s〗 歯茎
e.g. a tooth broken off just above the gum
e.g. as modifier : gum disease.
verb (gums, gumming, gummed) with object
chew with toothless gums:
e.g. some grandmother gumming a meal.
ORIGIN
Old English gōma ‘inside of the mouth or throat’, of Germanic origin; related to German Gaumen ‘roof of the mouth’.
$ \mathrm{gum}^3 |ɡəm|
noun (in phrase by gum!) mainly Northern English
an exclamation used for emphasis:
e.g. if he wants it done by Friday, by gum, he'd better get cracking!
ORIGIN
early 19th century: euphemistic alteration of God.
GUM
abbreviation
genitourinary medicine.