from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Gum \Gum\, n. [OE. gomme, gumme, F. gomme, L. gummi and commis,
fr. Gr. ?, prob. from an Egyptian form kam?; cf. It.
{gomma}.]
1. A vegetable secretion of many trees or plants that hardens
when it exudes, but is soluble in water; as, gum arabic;
gum tragacanth; the gum of the cherry tree. Also, with
less propriety, exudations that are not soluble in water;
as, gum copal and gum sandarac, which are really resins.
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2. (Bot.) See {Gum tree}, {below}.
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3. A hive made of a section of a hollow gum tree; hence, any
roughly made hive; also, a vessel or bin made of a hollow
log. [Southern U. S.]
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4. A rubber overshoe. [Local, U. S.]
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{Black gum}, {Blue gum}, {British gum}, etc. See under
{Black}, {Blue}, etc.
{Gum Acaroidea}, the resinous gum of the Australian grass
tree ({Xanlhorrh[oe]a}).
{Gum animal} (Zool.), the galago of West Africa; -- so called
because it feeds on gums. See {Galago}.
{Gum animi or anim['e]}. See {Anim['e]}.
{Gum arabic}, a gum yielded mostly by several species of
{Acacia} (chiefly {A. vera} and {A. Arabica}) growing in
Africa and Southern Asia; -- called also {gum acacia}.
East Indian gum arabic comes from a tree of the Orange
family which bears the elephant apple.
{Gum butea}, a gum yielded by the Indian plants {Butea
frondosa} and {B. superba}, and used locally in tanning
and in precipitating indigo.
{Gum cistus}, a plant of the genus {Cistus} ({Cistus
ladaniferus}), a species of rock rose.
{Gum dragon}. See {Tragacanth}.
{Gum elastic}, {Elastic gum}. See {Caoutchouc}.
{Gum elemi}. See {Elemi}.
{Gum juniper}. See {Sandarac}.
{Gum kino}. See under {Kino}.
{Gum lac}. See {Lac}.
{Gum Ladanum}, a fragrant gum yielded by several Oriental
species of Cistus or rock rose.
{Gum passages}, sap receptacles extending through the
parenchyma of certain plants ({Amygdalace[ae]},
{Cactace[ae]}, etc.), and affording passage for gum.
{Gum pot}, a varnish maker's utensil for melting gum and
mixing other ingredients.
{Gum resin}, the milky juice of a plant solidified by
exposure to air; one of certain inspissated saps, mixtures
of, or having properties of, gum and resin; a resin
containing more or less mucilaginous and gummy matter.
{Gum sandarac}. See {Sandarac}.
{Gum Senegal}, a gum similar to gum arabic, yielded by trees
({Acacia Verek} and {A. Adansoni[aum]}) growing in the
Senegal country, West Africa.
{Gum tragacanth}. See {Tragacanth}.
{Gum water}, a solution of gum, esp. of gum arabic, in water.
{Gum wood}, the wood of any gum tree, esp. the wood of the
{Eucalyptus piperita}, of New South Wales.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Black \Black\ (bl[a^]k), a. [OE. blak, AS. bl[ae]c; akin to
Icel. blakkr dark, swarthy, Sw. bl[aum]ck ink, Dan. bl[ae]k,
OHG. blach, LG. & D. blaken to burn with a black smoke. Not
akin to AS. bl[=a]c, E. bleak pallid. [root]98.]
1. Destitute of light, or incapable of reflecting it; of the
color of soot or coal; of the darkest or a very dark
color, the opposite of {white}; characterized by such a
color; as, black cloth; black hair or eyes.
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O night, with hue so black! --Shak.
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2. In a less literal sense: Enveloped or shrouded in
darkness; very dark or gloomy; as, a black night; the
heavens black with clouds.
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I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud.
--Shak.
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3. Fig.: Dismal, gloomy, or forbidding, like darkness;
destitute of moral light or goodness; atrociously wicked;
cruel; mournful; calamitous; horrible. "This day's black
fate." "Black villainy." "Arise, black vengeance." "Black
day." "Black despair." --Shak.
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4. Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen;
foreboding; as, to regard one with black looks.
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Note: Black is often used in self-explaining compound words;
as, black-eyed, black-faced, black-haired,
black-visaged.
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{Black act}, the English statute 9 George I, which makes it a
felony to appear armed in any park or warren, etc., or to
hunt or steal deer, etc., with the face blackened or
disguised. Subsequent acts inflicting heavy penalties for
malicious injuries to cattle and machinery have been
called black acts.
{Black angel} (Zool.), a fish of the West Indies and Florida
({Holacanthus tricolor}), with the head and tail yellow,
and the middle of the body black.
{Black antimony} (Chem.), the black sulphide of antimony,
{Sb2S3}, used in pyrotechnics, etc.
{Black bear} (Zool.), the common American bear ({Ursus
Americanus}).
{Black beast}. See {B[^e]te noire}.
{Black beetle} (Zool.), the common large cockroach ({Blatta
orientalis}).
{Black bonnet} (Zool.), the black-headed bunting ({Embriza
Sch[oe]niclus}) of Europe.
{Black canker}, a disease in turnips and other crops,
produced by a species of caterpillar.
{Black cat} (Zool.), the fisher, a quadruped of North America
allied to the sable, but larger. See {Fisher}.
{Black cattle}, any bovine cattle reared for slaughter, in
distinction from dairy cattle. [Eng.]
{Black cherry}. See under {Cherry}.
{Black cockatoo} (Zool.), the palm cockatoo. See {Cockatoo}.
{Black copper}. Same as {Melaconite}.
{Black currant}. (Bot.) See {Currant}.
{Black diamond}. (Min.) See {Carbonado}.
{Black draught} (Med.), a cathartic medicine, composed of
senna and magnesia.
{Black drop} (Med.), vinegar of opium; a narcotic preparation
consisting essentially of a solution of opium in vinegar.
{Black earth}, mold; earth of a dark color. --Woodward.
{Black flag}, the flag of a pirate, often bearing in white a
skull and crossbones; a signal of defiance.
{Black flea} (Zool.), a flea beetle ({Haltica nemorum})
injurious to turnips.
{Black flux}, a mixture of carbonate of potash and charcoal,
obtained by deflagrating tartar with half its weight of
niter. --Brande & C.
{Black Forest} [a translation of G. Schwarzwald], a forest in
Baden and W["u]rtemburg, in Germany; a part of the ancient
Hercynian forest.
{Black game}, or {Black grouse}. (Zool.) See {Blackcock},
{Grouse}, and {Heath grouse}.
{Black grass} (Bot.), a grasslike rush of the species {Juncus
Gerardi}, growing on salt marshes, and making good hay.
{Black gum} (Bot.), an American tree, the tupelo or
pepperidge. See {Tupelo}.
{Black Hamburg (grape)} (Bot.), a sweet and juicy variety of
dark purple or "black" grape.
{Black horse} (Zool.), a fish of the Mississippi valley
({Cycleptus elongatus}), of the sucker family; the
Missouri sucker.
{Black lemur} (Zool.), the {Lemurniger} of Madagascar; the
{acoumbo} of the natives.
{Black list}, a list of persons who are for some reason
thought deserving of censure or punishment; -- esp. a list
of persons stigmatized as insolvent or untrustworthy, made
for the protection of tradesmen or employers. See
{Blacklist}, v. t.
{Black manganese} (Chem.), the black oxide of manganese,
{MnO2}.
{Black Maria}, the close wagon in which prisoners are carried
to or from jail.
{Black martin} (Zool.), the chimney swift. See {Swift}.
{Black moss} (Bot.), the common so-called long moss of the
southern United States. See {Tillandsia}.
{Black oak}. See under {Oak}.
{Black ocher}. See {Wad}.
{Black pigment}, a very fine, light carbonaceous substance,
or lampblack, prepared chiefly for the manufacture of
printers' ink. It is obtained by burning common coal tar.
{Black plate}, sheet iron before it is tinned. --Knight.
{Black quarter}, malignant anthrax with engorgement of a
shoulder or quarter, etc., as of an ox.
{Black rat} (Zool.), one of the species of rats ({Mus
rattus}), commonly infesting houses.
{Black rent}. See {Blackmail}, n., 3.
{Black rust}, a disease of wheat, in which a black, moist
matter is deposited in the fissures of the grain.
{Black sheep}, one in a family or company who is unlike the
rest, and makes trouble.
{Black silver}. (Min.) See under {Silver}.
{Black and tan}, black mixed or spotted with tan color or
reddish brown; -- used in describing certain breeds of
dogs.
{Black tea}. See under {Tea}.
{Black tin} (Mining), tin ore (cassiterite), when dressed,
stamped and washed, ready for smelting. It is in the form
of a black powder, like fine sand. --Knight.
{Black walnut}. See under {Walnut}.
{Black warrior} (Zool.), an American hawk ({Buteo Harlani}).
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Syn: Dark; murky; pitchy; inky; somber; dusky; gloomy; swart;
Cimmerian; ebon; atrocious.
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