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gutta-percha

gutta-percha

9.9
A tough white rubber used to cover wires and in dental work
  • noun
  • /ˈɡʌtəˌpɜrʧə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : gutta-percha
  • Author's note: Mr. Lin of Rimpex Rubber in China kindly furnished a sample of gutta percha for the author's edification.
  • gutta-percha ball

Examples

  • The transatlantic cables exploited a natural product, gutta percha, that seemed to have been created especially for the job.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Construction and splicing Gutta percha, a material essentially unknown today, made the cable possible.

    Academic text (2011)
  • After this, the gutta percha insulation was restored.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Gutta-percha was introduced to Europe in 1847 and was immediately adopted as wire insulation.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In the beginning, the importation of gutta percha led to the destruction of 26 million trees per year in Borneo alone.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Machines operated by the Gutta Percha Co. applied the insulation to the copper conductor, three layers for the 1858 cable.

    Academic text (2011)
  • This exploited the unique ability of gutta percha to be molded like modeling clay and to be welded into a monolithic mass.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The cable comprised a stranded copper conductor encased in gutta percha insulation and surrounded by a braided steel cable, which also acted as a shield.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Gutta-percha is widely used for insulating gutta-percha electrical cables due to its durability.

  • The dentist used gutta-percha to fill the root canal and prevent infection.

Synonyms

gutta balata
vsgutta-percha
  • Archaic
9.9

A tough, rubbery material from tree sap used to make old golf balls

is used mainly for insulating cables and dental work rather than ball making
balata
vsgutta-percha
  • Specialized
9.9

A tough rubber-like material from tree sap used to make golf ball covers and machine belts

is used mainly for insulating cables and dental work rather than industrial uses

Surface Forms

gutta-percha singular
gutta-perchas plural

Etymology

Gutta-percha comes from Malay words getah meaning 'sap' or 'rubber' and percha, a local word, and it originally named the tree sap used as a hard kind of rubber. So, remember gutta-percha as the tough tree 'sap' that became a white rubber for things like cable insulation and dental work.