trag·a·canth (tr g  -knth , trj-)n. 1. Any of various thorny shrubs of the genus Astragalus, especially A. gummifer, of the Middle East, yielding a gum used in pharmacy, adhesives, and textile printing. 2. The gum of this plant. [Latin tragacantha, from Greek tragakantha : tragos, goat + akantha, thorn.] |
tragacanth [ˈtrægəˌkænθ]
n
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) 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. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) the gum obtained from any of these plants, used in the manufacture of pills and lozenges, etc.
[from French tragacante, from Latin tragacantha goat's thorn, from Greek tragakantha, from tragos goat + akantha thorn]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  tragacanth - a gum used in pharmacy, adhesives, and textile printinggum - any of various substances (soluble in water) that exude from certain plants; they are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying |
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