sweet gum

noun

1. a tall, aromatic tree, Liquidambar styraciflua, of the eastern U.S., having star-shaped leaves and fruits in rounded, burlike clusters.
2. the hard reddish-brown wood of this tree, used for making furniture.
3. the amber balsam exuded by this tree, used in the manufacture of perfumes and medicines.

sweet gum

noun

1. a North American liquidambar tree, Liquidambar styraciflua, having prickly spherical fruit clusters and fragrant sap: the wood (called satin walnut ) is used to make furniture Compare sour gum
2. the sap of this tree

Word History and Origins

Origin of sweet gum¹

An Americanism dating back to 1690–1700

Example Sentences

They chose instead to landscape their subdivisions, apartment complexes, business parks, shopping centers and roadways with nonnative trees, including sweet gums, camphor, carrotwood, fig, and ficus trees — all favored by parrots.

From Los Angeles Times

For years, a neighbor’s copse of sweet gums and oaks would filter the afternoon sun into her dining room.

From Seattle Times

They’re also being planted alongside native trees like sweet gum, tulip trees and bald cypress, to avoid genetically identical stands of trees known as monocultures; non-engineered poplars are being planted as experimental controls.

From New York Times

Behind the bar, they swagged a second garland made from teasel and sweet gum and poppy seed pods.

From Seattle Times

Recently, shots of a day lily, cup-plant, white wood aster, sweet gum, even trichaptum fungus on a log, were identified in less time than it took to say “I know what this is!”

From New York Times