gum
n. C / Un. a sweet, chewy substance that you chew for a long time but do not swallow. It can also mean the pink, firm skin in your mouth that holds your teeth in place.
n. a sweetened, flavoured substance designed for prolonged chewing without being swallowed; also refers to the firm connective tissue surrounding the base of the teeth.
I always chew sugar-free gum after lunch.
The dentist checked my gums for signs of inflammation during the routine cleaning.
While modern chewing gum is typically made from synthetic rubber, its historical predecessors were derived from natural resins like chicle or spruce sap.
Uncountable when referring to the chewy substance as a mass; countable when referring to the anatomical tissue or specific pieces of gum.
I bought a gumI bought some gumWhen referring to the chewy substance, the word is usually uncountable; use 'some gum' or 'a piece of gum' instead.