English Explanatory Dictionary

gum arabic

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An edible substance taken from one of two species of sub-Saharan acacia trees, Senegalia senegal and Vachellia seyal, used in the food industry as a stabilizer (e.g. in soda, gumdrops and marshmallows) and other purposes including pharmaceuticals, paints and polishes.

Pronunciation

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-gum arabic.wav

Word forms

gum arabic gums arabic gum-arabic gumarabic

Etymology

gum + Arabic; the name was used in Arabic and other Middle Eastern languages since the 9th century (صَمْغ عَرَبِيّ (ṣamḡ ʕarabiyy)), and retained in the languages of Europeans who first acquired it via Arab ports.

Synonyms

E414 when used as a thickener stabiliser emulsifier gum acacia acacia gum Arabic gum acacia Senegal gum Indian gum

Derived words

gum arabic tree
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