gum
gum — noun
1. The pink flesh that surrounds each tooth inside a person's mouth, protecting the
The pink flesh that surrounds each tooth inside a person's mouth, protecting the bone underneath.
Yuki's gums started to bleed when she brushed her teeth too hard.
gums + bleed (dental health context)
The dentist told Sophia to floss every day to keep her gums healthy.
A piece of popcorn got stuck between Haruto's tooth and his gum.
Walid's gums were swollen and red because of an infection.
Ife gently massaged her gums with a soft brush after the surgery.
文法句型
usually plural: gums
用法筆記
The plural form 'gums' is very common because the flesh covers both the upper and lower jaw. The singular 'gum' is used when referring to one specific area, such as around a single tooth.
2. A sticky liquid that comes out of the trunk or branches of certain trees when th
A sticky liquid that comes out of the trunk or branches of certain trees when the bark is cut, often used to make glue, sweets, and medicine.
Gum arabic, which comes from acacia trees, is used in soft drinks and sweets.
gum arabic + food industry use
The trunk of the cherry tree was covered in thick, dried gum.
Vinícius collected samples of tree gum for his biology project on natural adhesives.
Talia noticed a shiny layer of gum on the bark of the pine tree.
In the past, people boiled tree gum to make a sticky paste for mending arrows.
用法筆記
Natural gum from trees is different from the synthetic glue sold in shops as 'gum'. Tree gum is water-soluble and hardens when it dries.
常見錯誤
3. An adhesive product, often sold as a stick or a liquid, that is used to stick pa
An adhesive product, often sold as a stick or a liquid, that is used to stick paper and other light items together.
Jenna used a stick of gum to fix the torn corner of her notebook page.
stick of gum (adhesive format)
The children spread gum on the paper stars and pressed them onto the poster.
Élise applied liquid gum to the envelope flap and sealed it shut.
Rodrigo prefers using gum rather than tape for paper crafts because it dries clear.
A tube of gum is all you need to make a simple scrapbook at home.
- glue
More common than 'gum' for general adhesives; 'glue' can be stronger and used for heavier materials.
- paste
A soft, wet mixture used for paper; thicker than gum and often made from flour and water.
- cement
A very strong adhesive used for materials like rubber, plastic, or metal; much stronger than paper gum.
常見錯誤
4. A soft, sweet food that you keep chewing and biting between your teeth but never
A soft, sweet food that you keep chewing and biting between your teeth but never actually eat.
Anjali offered her friend a piece of gum after lunch to freshen her breath.
piece of gum + quantity expression
The teacher asked the students not to chew gum during the exam.
Eli stepped on sticky gum on the pavement and it stuck to his shoe.
Yasmin blew a huge bubble with her gum until it popped on her face.
Asher always keeps a pack of mint gum in his bag for long car journeys.
- chewing gum
The full term; slightly more formal than just 'gum'.
- bubble gum
A type of gum that can be blown into bubbles; usually pink and fruit-flavoured.
- mint
A breath-freshening sweet that you suck or crush; not the same as gum because you do not keep chewing it.
用法筆記
'Gum' is short for 'chewing gum' or 'bubble gum'. It is uncountable, so you say 'a piece of gum' or 'a stick of gum', not 'a gum'.
常見錯誤
5. A chewy, brightly coloured sweet with a fruit flavour, often made in shapes like
A chewy, brightly coloured sweet with a fruit flavour, often made in shapes like bears, worms, or rings.
Trang bought a bag of fruit gums and shared them with her classmates at break.
bag of fruit gums + sharing context
The children's favourite treat was a handful of colourful gummy bears after dinner.
Bilal's grandmother sent him a box of chewy fruit gums from England.
Esme put a bowl of gummy worms on the table for the birthday party guests.
Sophia prefers sour gum drops to the sweet ring-shaped ones.
- gummy bears
The most common type of gum sweet, shaped like small bears.
- jelly sweets
A broader category of soft, chewy sweets; often used in British English.
- gum drops
A specific type of gum sweet shaped like small rounded drops, often coated in sugar.
用法筆記
This sense is used mainly in product names like 'fruit gums', 'gummy bears', 'gummy worms', or 'gum drops'. In everyday speech, people often say 'gummy bears' or 'gummy sweets' rather than just 'gums'.
常見錯誤
6. A tree that produces gum, especially a eucalyptus or a sweet gum tree, found in
A tree that produces gum, especially a eucalyptus or a sweet gum tree, found in warm regions such as Australia and parts of North America.
The garden behind their house had three tall gum trees that shaded the yard.
tall gum trees (Australian context)
Yuki learned that koalas eat the leaves of certain gum trees in Australia.
Haruto planted a young sweet gum tree in his yard and watched it grow.
The bark of the black gum tree feels rough and deeply grooved.
Vinícius smelled the strong scent of the eucalyptus trees after the rain.
- eucalyptus
The most common type of gum tree, native to Australia; 'eucalyptus' is the scientific name.
- sweet gum
A North American tree (Liquidambar) known for its colourful autumn leaves and spiky seed balls.
用法筆記
In Australia, 'gum tree' almost always means a eucalyptus. In North America, it can refer to the sweet gum or black gum tree, which are different species.
常見錯誤
gum — verb
1. To stick one thing to another using glue or a similar adhesive substance.
To stick one thing to another using glue or a similar adhesive substance.
Rodrigo gummed the photo onto the page of his album with careful precision.
gum + object + onto + surface
The children gummed paper feathers onto their cardboard bird masks for the play.
Talia gummed the torn map back together with a glue stick before the trip.
Élise gummed the address label onto the parcel so it would not fall off.
Asher gummed the torn invitation back onto the envelope before mailing it.
文法句型
gum + noun + to/onto + noun
用法筆記
This verb is less common in everyday speech than 'glue'. 'Gum' often suggests sticking paper or light materials, while 'glue' works for heavier items too.