gutta-percha

[ guht-uh-pur-chuh ]

noun

1. the milky juice, nearly white when pure, of various Malaysian trees of the sapodilla family, especially Palaquium gutta.
2. the tough, rubberlike gum made from this and used as a dental cement, in the manufacture of golf balls, for insulating electric wires, etc.

gutta-percha

/ ˈɡʌtəˈpɜːtʃə /

noun

1. any of several tropical trees of the sapotaceous genera Palaquium and Payena, esp Palaquium gutta
2. a whitish rubber substance derived from the coagulated milky latex of any of these trees: used in electrical insulation and dentistry

Word History and Origins

Origin of gutta-percha¹

1835–45; < Malay gətah (spelling getah ) tree sap + perca rag, strip of cloth; perhaps so called from the appearance of the sap ( Malay getah taban ) in its marketed form

Word History and Origins

Origin of gutta-percha¹

C19: from Malay getah gum + percha name of a tree that produces it