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Glite Dictionary
chicle gum

chicle gum

5.9
A natural sticky substance from the sapodilla tree used to make chewing gum
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃɪkəl ɡʌm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : chicle
  • Traditional chewing gum was made from chicle gum before synthetic bases became common.

Examples

  • Harvesters collect chicle gum by tapping the bark of the sapodilla tree.

  • The use of chicle gum declined with the arrival of cheaper artificial substitutes.

  • I love chicle gum for its unique flavor.

  • Do you prefer chicle gum or mint?

  • Harvesters collect chicle gum by tapping the bark of the sapodilla tree.

  • Traditional chewing gum was made from chicle gum before synthetic bases became common.

  • The use of chicle gum declined with the arrival of cheaper artificial substitutes.

Synonyms

chicle
vschicle gum
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A natural gum from a tree once used to make chewing gum

emphasizes traditional use as the base rather than only past use

Surface Forms

chicle gum singular
chicle gums plural

Morphology

chicle + gum

This is a literal noun–noun compound: 'chicle' names a natural gum and 'gum' indicates a chewable product, so the phrase straightforwardly means gum made from chicle. The composition follows a common, transparent English pattern (X + gum = gum made from X), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Chicle gum comes from the sticky sap people collect from the sapodilla tree. People would tap the bark and let the thick chicle harden into chewable pieces, so the name came to mean the natural base for 'chewing gum'.