Emily Dickinson Lexicon

GUM, n.² [Sax. goma; L. gummi; D. gom; Sp. goma; It. gomma; Fr. gomme; Gr. κομμι; Russ. kamed. See Class Gm, No. 12, 29.]

The concrete mucilage of vegetables; a concrete juice which exsudes through the bark of trees, and thickens on the surface. It is soluble in water, to which it gives a viscous and adhesive quality. It is insoluble in alcohol, and coagulates in weak acids. When dry, it is transparent and brittle, not easily pulverized, and of an insipid or slightly saccharine taste. Gum differs from resin to several particulars, but custom has inaccurately given the name of gum to several resins and gum-resins, as gum-copal, gum-sandarach, gum-ammoniac, and others. The true gums are gum-arabic, gum-senegal, gum-tragacanth, and the gums of the peach, plum and cherry trees, &c. Nicholson. Hooper.