Resins

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of viscous or solid organic materials that are used extensively in adhesives, varnishes, and various chemical applications, often derived from natural sources or synthesized artificially
2. Substances characterized by their sticky nature, utilized in a myriad of applications including the production of plastics, paints, and inks, originating from plant sources or created in laboratories
3. A category of thick, often viscous organic compounds that serve important roles in manufacturing products like adhesives and coatings, typically obtained from natural sources or produced synthetically

Etymology: "Resins" is the plural of "resin," so the history belongs to the singular. The word reaches back to ancient Greek "rhētinē," a term for the sticky sap of pine and similar trees, which the Romans borrowed as "resina." From there it passed into Old French as "résine," and Middle English took it up as "resyn" before the modern spelling settled in English. The most surprising twist is that English also has "rosin," a close relative. Both words descend from the same Latin source and entered the language along different routes, so they are doublets. "Rosin" kept a narrower, more specialised sense, the hard amber-coloured residue left after turpentine is distilled, and it is the form musicians rub on violin bows, while "resin" stayed the broader term for any plant or tree secretion.

Synonyms: gums, sap