gutta-percha
[ guht-uh-pur-chuh ]
/ ˈgʌt əˈpɜr tʃə /
noun
the milky juice, nearly white when pure, of various Malaysian trees of the sapodilla family, especially Palaquium gutta.
the tough, rubberlike gum made from this and used as a dental cement, in the manufacture of golf balls, for insulating electric wires, etc.
Origin of gutta-percha
1835–45; < Malay
gətah (spelling
getah) tree sap +
perca rag, strip of cloth; perhaps so called from the appearance of the sap (Malay
getah taban) in its marketed form
Words nearby gutta-percha
gutiérrez nájera,
gutless,
gutser,
gutsy,
gutta,
gutta-percha,
gutta-percha point,
guttae band,
guttat.,
guttate,
guttatim
Example sentences from the Web for gutta-percha
British Dictionary definitions for gutta-percha
gutta-percha
/ (ˈɡʌtəˈpɜːtʃə) /
noun
any of several tropical trees of the sapotaceous genera Palaquium and Payena, esp Palaquium gutta
a whitish rubber substance derived from the coagulated milky latex of any of these trees: used in electrical insulation and dentistry
Word Origin for gutta-percha
C19: from Malay
getah gum +
percha name of a tree that produces it
Medical definitions for gutta-percha
gutta-percha
[ gŭt′ə-pûr′chə ]
n.
A rubbery substance from the latex of any of several tropical trees, used as a temporary filling material in dentistry and in the manufacture of orthopedic splints.