Mastica

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A resinous substance obtained from certain trees, often used for chewing or as an ingredient in cosmetic and medicinal products
2. A natural gum that exudes from the bark of specific trees, traditionally chewed for its flavor and purported health benefits
3. A versatile resin employed in various applications, ranging from culinary uses to therapeutic preparations across different cultures

Etymology: Mastic comes from the Greek "mastichē," a word for the resin that oozes from the bark of the mastic tree, Pistacia lentiscus, a small evergreen shrub of the Mediterranean. The resin forms as droplets, which were hardened and chewed as a kind of gum in the ancient world, and the Greek name is closely tied to the act of chewing. The island of Chios became the centre of the trade, and its resin was prized across the Mediterranean for centuries. The English word arrived by way of Latin "mastiche" and Old French, and it kept the sense of the resin itself rather than the gum or the chewing habit. Over time the term also came to name a pale yellowish varnish made by dissolving the resin in alcohol, and a mortar-like cement used in building. The same Greek root gave English "masticate," meaning to chew, so the two words share a common origin in the act of chewing the resin.

Synonyms: mastic, resin, gum, sap