tragacanth

American  

[trag-uh-kanth, traj-] / ˈtræg əˌkænθ, ˈtrædʒ- /

noun

1. a gummy substance derived from various low, spiny, Asian shrubs belonging to the genus Astragalus, of the legume family, especially A. gummifer: used to impart firmness to pills and lozenges, stiffen calicoes, etc.

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tragacanth British  

/ ˈtræɡəˌkænθ /

noun

1. any of various spiny leguminous plants of the genus Astragalus , esp A. gummifer , of Asia, having clusters of white, yellow, or purple flowers, and yielding a substance that is made into a gum

2. the gum obtained from any of these plants, used in the manufacture of pills and lozenges, etc

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Etymology

Origin of tragacanth

1565–75; < Latin tragacantha goat's thorn < Greek tragákantha, equivalent to trág ( os ) goat + ákantha thorn. tragedy, acantho-

Example Sentences

They mixed blood plasma with a little sulfanilamide and some gum tragacanth to make a paste, used it on twelve second-degree burns.

From Time Magazine Archive

Gum of Bassora, from Bassora or Bussorah in Asia, is sometimes imported into the London market under the name of the hog tragacanth.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6 "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad" by Various

Some artists now put gum tragacanth into the mixture.

From Ave Roma Immortalis, Vol. 2 Studies from the Chronicles of Rome by Crawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)

Inferior qualities are frequently filled or back-filled with glue, sugar, gum tragacanth, dextrin, &c., after which they are dried, damped and given a light calender finish.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 3 "Fenton, Edward" to "Finistere" by Various

The leather is washed down with tragacanth and the previously impressed design picked out with white of egg and quickly tooled with tools medium to hot.

From Practical Bookbinding by Adam, Paul