3 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

resin

noun: any of a class of solid or semisolid viscous substances obtained either as exudations from certain plants or prepared by polymerization of simple molecules [syn: {rosin}]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Resin \Res"in\ (r[e^]z"[i^]n), noun [F. r['e]sine, L. resina; cf. Gr. "rhti'nh Cf. {Rosin}.] Any one of a class of yellowish brown solid inflammable substances, of vegetable origin, which are nonconductors of electricity, have a vitreous fracture, and are soluble in ether, alcohol, and essential oils, but not in water; specif., pine resin (see {Rosin}).

Note: Resins exude from trees in combination with essential oils, gums, etc., and in a liquid or semiliquid state. They are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and they consist primarily of polymerized small molecules having carboxylic groups. Copal, mastic, guaiacum, and colophony or pine resin, are some of them. When mixed with gum, they form the gum resins, like asafetida and gamboge; mixed with essential oils, they form balsams, or oleoresins. They are also used in making varnishes.

2. Any of various polymeric substance resembling the natural resins[1], prepared synthetically; -- they are used, especially in particulate form, in research and industry for their property of specifically absorbing or adsorbing substances of particular types; they are especially useful in separation processes such as chromatography; as, an ion-exchange {resin}. [PJC]

{Highgate resin} (Min.), a fossil resin resembling copal, occuring in blue clay at Highgate, near London.

{Resin bush} (Bot.), a low composite shrub ({Euryops speciosissimus}) of South Africa, having smooth pinnately parted leaves and abounding in resin.

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

75 Moby Thesaurus words for "resin": Canada balsam, Sonora lac, acacia, agar, amber, ambergris, ammoniac, amyrin, anime, balsam, bassorin, benjamin, benzoin, camphor, carob gum, carrageenin, chewing gum, chicle, colophony, copaiba, copal, copaline, dammar, elemi, euphorbium, frankincense, ghatti, guacin, guaiac, guaiacum, guar gum, gum, gum ammoniac, gum anime, gum arabic, gum archipin, gum benjamin, gum butea, gum copal, gum dammar, gum elemi, gum juniper, gum kauri, gum kino, gum labdanum, gum myrrh, gum opoponax, gum resin, gum rosin, gum sagapenum, gum sandarac, gum shellac, gum storax, gum-lac, gutta-percha, kino, labdanum, lac, lacquer, mastic, myrrh, oleoresin, olibanum, pitch, quince-seed gum, resinate, resinize, resins, rosin, sagapenum, sandarac, shellac, sterculia gum, storax, tragacanth

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