Definitions for tragacanth
ˈtræg əˌkænθ, ˈtrædʒ-tra·ga·canth

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tragacanthnoun

   a gum used in pharmacy, adhesives, and textile printing

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tragacanthnoun

   a polysaccharide gum, extracted from several species of leguminous plants of the genus Astragalus, used as a food additive

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tragacanthnoun

   A sort of gum to which this name has been given, because it proceeds from the incision of the root or trunk of a plant so called. Antoine Furetière

   Etymology: tragacantha, Lat.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tragacanth

   Tragacanth is a natural gum obtained from the dried sap of several species of Middle Eastern legumes of the genus Astragalus, including A. adscendens, A. gummifer, A. brachycalyx, and A. tragacantha. Some of these species are known collectively under the common names "goat's thorn" and "locoweed". The gum is sometimes called Shiraz gum, shiraz, gum elect or gum dragon. The name derives from the Greek words tragos (meaning "goat") and akantha ("thorn"). Iran is the biggest producer of this gum. Gum tragacanth is a viscous, odorless, tasteless, water-soluble mixture of polysaccharides obtained from sap that is drained from the root of the plant and dried. The gum seeps from the plant in twisted ribbons or flakes that can be powdered. It absorbs water to become a gel, which can be stirred into a paste. The major fractions are known as tragacanthin, highly water-soluble as a mucilaginous colloid, and the chemically related bassorin, which is far less soluble but swells in water to form a gel. The gum is used in vegetable-tanned leatherworking as an edge slicking and burnishing compound, and is occasionally used as a stiffener in textiles. The gum has been used historically as a herbal remedy for such conditions as cough and diarrhea. Powders using tragacanth as a basis were sometimes called diatragacanth. As a mucilage or paste, it has been used as a topical treatment for burns. It is used in pharmaceuticals and foods as an emulsifier, thickener, stabilizer, and texturant additive (E number E413). It is the traditional binder used in the making of artists' pastels, as it does not adhere to itself the same way other gums (such as gum arabic) do when dry. Gum tragacanth is also used to make a paste used in floral sugarcraft to create lifelike flowers on wires used as decorations for cakes, which air-dries brittle and can take colorings. It enables users to get a very fine, delicate finish to their work. It has traditionally been used as an adhesive in the cigar-rolling process used to secure the cap or "flag" leaf to the finished cigar body.In the Middle East, and in Turkey in particular, gum tragacanth is used in paper marbling to make size on which to float and shape the pigments, just as carrageenan is used in the West. Gum tragacanth is also used in incense-making as a binder to hold all the powdered herbs together. Its water solubility is ideal for ease of working and an even spread, and it is one of the stronger gums for holding particles in suspension. Only half as much is needed, compared to gum arabic or something similar.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tragacanth

   Tragacanth is a gum derived from the dried sap of various Middle Eastern legumes of the genus Astragalus, especially A. gummifer and A. adscendens. It is used in pharmaceuticals, textiles, and as an emulsifying and thickening agent in several foods and beverages. Tragacanth is odourless, tasteless, and forms a viscous gel when mixed with water.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tragacanthnoun

   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

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tragacanth

   trag′a-kanth, n. a name given to several low spiny shrubs of the genus Astragalus, found in western Asia, as well as to the mucilaginous substance or gum derived from them.

U.S. National Library of MedicineRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tragacanth

   Powdered exudate from Astragalus gummifer and related plants. It forms gelatinous mass in water. Tragacanth is used as suspending agent, excipient or emulsifier in foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. It has also been used as a bulk-forming laxative.

Matched Categories

1. • Gum

How to pronounce tragacanth?

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How to say tragacanth in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of tragacanth in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of tragacanth in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

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