mastic
Pronunciation: /ˈmæstɪk/
The English word “mastic” has 4 meanings listed here.
noun
- An evergreen shrub or small tree, Pistacia lentiscus (mastic tree), native to the Mediterranean.
- A hard, brittle, aromatic and transparent resin produced by this tree and used to make varnishes and chewing gum, and as a flavouring.
- An alcoholic liquor flavoured with this resin.
- Any of various cements, usually flexible and waterproof, used as an adhesive, sealant, caulk, or filler.
Etymology
From Middle English mastik, from Old French mastic, from Latin mastiche, from Ancient Greek μαστίχη (mastíkhē), from μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “to chew”) (note the chewing gum sense). Related to masticate. The broad sense for cements came via extension from predecessor cements made with the tree's resin. Doublet of mastika.
Keep exploring: in the interactive dictionary every word of a definition is a link. Open “mastic” there
More English words
About this dictionary
The English dictionary on Glottosphere has 650,529 entries with a page. Browse the English dictionary.
Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.