gum

gum — 名詞

1. The pink flesh that surrounds each tooth inside a person's mouth, protecting the

1.名詞A2
釋義

牙齦

覆蓋牙齒根部的口腔組織

The pink flesh that surrounds each tooth inside a person's mouth, protecting the bone underneath.

例句

Yuki's gums started to bleed when she brushed her teeth too hard.

Yuki 刷牙太用力，牙齦開始流血。

gums + bleed (dental health context)

The dentist told Sophia to floss every day to keep her gums healthy.

牙醫告訴 Sophia 每天用牙線來保持牙齦健康。

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

2.名詞B1
釋義

樹膠

樹木莖幹分泌的黏性物質

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.

例句

Gum arabic, which comes from acacia trees, is used in soft drinks and sweets.

來自金合歡樹的阿拉伯樹膠常用於軟性飲料和糖果中。

gum arabic + food industry use

The trunk of the cherry tree was covered in thick, dried gum.

櫻桃樹的樹幹上覆蓋了一層厚厚的乾燥樹膠。

同義詞
  • resin

    A thicker, often harder substance from trees, used for varnishes and incense; not the same as water-soluble gum.

  • sap

    The liquid that flows inside a tree's stem; gum is a thicker, stickier substance that oozes out when the bark is damaged.

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

❌The tree produced a lot of gums.
✅The tree produced a lot of gum.
💡Gum as a plant substance is uncountable; do not add 's' to mean more than one drop.

3. An adhesive product, often sold as a stick or a liquid, that is used to stick pa

3.名詞B1
釋義

膠水

黏貼輕質材料（如紙張）的膠

An adhesive product, often sold as a stick or a liquid, that is used to stick paper and other light items together.

例句

Jenna used a stick of gum to fix the torn corner of her notebook page.

Jenna 用膠棒修補筆記本上撕破的頁角。

stick of gum (adhesive format)

The children spread gum on the paper stars and pressed them onto the poster.

孩子們在紙星星上塗上膠水，然後貼到海報上。

同義詞
  • 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

❌I need a gum to stick this paper.
✅I need some gum to stick this paper.' or 'I need a glue stick.
💡'Gum' as an adhesive is usually uncountable, or you can specify a 'stick of gum'.

4. A soft, sweet food that you keep chewing and biting between your teeth but never

4.名詞A1
釋義

口香糖

咀嚼但不吞下的甜味軟糖

A soft, sweet food that you keep chewing and biting between your teeth but never actually eat.

例句

Anjali offered her friend a piece of gum after lunch to freshen her breath.

Anjali 午餐後遞了一片口香糖給朋友清新口氣。

piece of gum + quantity expression

The teacher asked the students not to chew gum during the exam.

老師要求學生考試時不要嚼口香糖。

同義詞
  • 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

❌Can I have a gum?
✅Can I have a piece of gum?
💡'Gum' is uncountable; use 'a piece of', 'a stick of', or 'a pack of' to refer to a single item.

5. A chewy, brightly coloured sweet with a fruit flavour, often made in shapes like

5.名詞A2
釋義

軟糖

水果味、可咀嚼的糖果

A chewy, brightly coloured sweet with a fruit flavour, often made in shapes like bears, worms, or rings.

例句

Trang bought a bag of fruit gums and shared them with her classmates at break.

Trang 買了一袋水果軟糖，休息時和同學們分享。

bag of fruit gums + sharing context

The children's favourite treat was a handful of colourful gummy bears after dinner.

孩子們最喜歡的點心是晚餐後的一把彩色小熊軟糖。

同義詞
  • 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

❌I ate some gums after lunch.
✅I ate some gummy sweets after lunch.' or 'I ate some fruit gums.
💡'Gums' can sound like the mouth flesh; use 'gummy bears' or 'fruit gums' to be clear.

6. A tree that produces gum, especially a eucalyptus or a sweet gum tree, found in

6.名詞B2
釋義

膠樹

能分泌樹膠的樹木（如桉樹）

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.

例句

The garden behind their house had three tall gum trees that shaded the yard.

他們家後面的花園裡有三棵高大的膠樹，為庭院遮蔭。

tall gum trees (Australian context)

Yuki learned that koalas eat the leaves of certain gum trees in Australia.

Yuki 學到無尾熊在澳洲吃某種膠樹的葉子。

同義詞
  • 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

❌The gum tree in my garden has fruit gums on it.
✅The gum tree in my garden has thick sap on its bark.
💡A gum tree is a living plant; fruit gums are sweets sold in shops.

gum — 動詞