tragacanth

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English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology[edit]

From Latin tragacantha, from Koine Greek τραγάκανθα (tragákantha, tragacanth), from Ancient Greek τράγος (trágos, he-goat) + ἄκανθα (ákantha, thorn). Doublet of adragant.

Noun[edit]

tragacanth (countable and uncountable, plural tragacanths)

  1. A polysaccharide gum, extracted from several species of leguminous plants of the genus Astragalus, formerly used medicinally and now as a food additive. Also more fully gum tragacanth. [from 16th c.]
    • 1844, E.A.Poe, Marginalia:
      Where what I have to note is too much to be included within the narrow limits of a margin, I commit it to a slip of paper, and deposit it between the leaves; taking care to secure it by an imperceptible portion of gum tragacanth paste.
    • 2002, Victoria Finlay, Colour, Sceptre, published 2003, page 198:
      There would have been many gums and resins in these markets for our lute-maker to bind his wood with: [] gum tragacanth from Aleppo, which would be sold as thin and wrinkled worm-like pieces of shrub.

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