Tragacanth(n.) A kind of gum procured from a spiny leguminous shrub (Astragalus gummifer) of Western Asia, and other species of Astragalus. It comes in hard whitish or yellowish flakes or filaments, and is nearly insoluble in water, but slowly swells into a mucilaginous mass, which is used as a substitute for gum arabic in medicine and the arts. Called also gum tragacanth.
Thesaurus Entries
Canada balsam, Sonora lac, acacia, agar, amber, ambergris, ammoniac, amyrin, anime, balsam, bassorin, benjamin, benzoin, camphor, carob gum, carrageenin, chewing gum, chicle, colophony, copaiba, copal, copaline, dammar, elemi, euphorbium, frankincense, ghatti, guacin, guaiac, guaiacum, guar gum, gum, gum ammoniac, gum anime, gum arabic, gum archipin, gum benjamin, gum butea, gum copal, gum dammar, gum elemi, gum juniper, gum kauri, gum kino, gum labdanum, gum myrrh, gum opoponax, gum resin, gum rosin, gum sagapenum, gum sandarac, gum shellac, gum storax, gum-lac, gutta-percha, kino, labdanum, lac, lacquer, mastic, myrrh, oleoresin, olibanum, pitch, quince-seed gum, resinate, resinize, resins, rosin, sagapenum, sandarac, shellac, sterculia gum, storax, tragacanth