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Glite Dictionary
gum benjamin

gum benjamin

9.9
A fragrant resin from trees used in perfumes and to soothe irritated skin
  • noun
  • Specialized
: goma benjamina
  • The apothecary recommended gum benjamin as a soothing remedy for her irritated skin.

Examples

  • He mixed gum benjamin with other resins to create a fragrant incense.

  • A faint scent of gum benjamin lingered in the old wooden chest.

  • Wow, I love gum benjamin!

  • I love the scent of gum benjamin in my perfume.

  • The apothecary recommended gum benjamin as a soothing remedy for her irritated skin.

  • He mixed gum benjamin with other resins to create a fragrant incense.

  • A faint scent of gum benjamin lingered in the old wooden chest.

Synonyms

sweet gum
vsgum benjamin
  • US
1 7.7

A sticky fragrant substance from a tree used in medicine and perfume

is used for perfumes and skin treatment but not as a chewing gum base
benzoin
vsgum benjamin
  • Specialized
1 9.6

A sticky tree resin used to protect skin and scent perfumes

is described as a fragrant resin used for perfumes and skin treatment
benjamin
vsgum benjamin
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A fragrant gum from certain trees used in perfume, incense, and to soothe skin

is mainly used for perfumes and for treating skin irritation
gum benzoin
vsgum benjamin
  • Specialized
9.6

A sticky substance from trees with a sweet scent used to protect skin and scent perfumes and incense

is used for perfumes and for treating skin irritation

Surface Forms

gum benjamin singular
gum benjamins plural

Morphology

gum + benjamin

The noun phrase literally combines 'gum' (a resinous substance) with 'benjamin' (a specific fragrant balsamic resin), so the referent — a gum of the benjamin type — is directly compositional. While 'benjamin' as a resin is a specialized lexical item, if a learner knows both constituents the overall meaning is predictable from their combination.

Etymology

Gum benjamin is the name of a sticky tree resin: gum shows it is sticky and benjamin is an old name for a sweet-smelling resin. Because people used this sticky, sweet-smelling substance in 'perfumes' and to 'soothe' skin, the name now means 'a sweet-smelling gum resin used in perfumes and to soothe skin'.