Word Study
gamboge
CIDE DICTIONARY
gamboge, n.
A concrete juice, or gum resin, produced by several species of trees in Siam, Ceylon, and Malabar. It is brought in masses, or cylindrical rolls, from Cambodia, or Cambogia , -- whence its name. The best kind is of a dense, compact texture, and of a beatiful reddish yellow. Taken internally, it is a strong and harsh cathartic and emetic. [1913 Webster]
" There are several kinds of gamboge, but all are derived from species of Garcinia , a genus of trees of the order Guttiferæ . The best Siam gamboge is thought to come from Garcinia Hanburii . Ceylon gamboge is from G. Morella . G. pictoria , of Western India, yields gamboge , and also a kind of oil called gamboge butter."
OXFORD DICTIONARY
gamboge, n. a gum resin produced by various E. Asian trees and used as a yellow pigment and as a purgative.
Etymology
mod.L gambaugium f. Cambodia in SE Asia
ROGET THESAURUS
gamboge
Yellowness
N yellowness, yellow, or, gamboge, cadmium-yellow, chrome-yellow, Indian-yellow king's-yellow, lemonyellow, orpiment, yellow ocher, Claude tint, aureolin, xanthein, xanthin, zaofulvin, crocus, saffron, topaz, xanthite, yolk, jaundice, London fog, yellowness, icterus, xantho- cyanopia, xanthopsia, yellow, aureate, golden, flavous, citrine, fallow, fulvous, fulvid, sallow, luteous, tawny, creamy, sandy, xanthic, xanthous, jaundiced, auricomous, gold-colored, citron-colored, saffron-colored, lemon-colored, lemon yellow, sulphur-colored, amber-colored, straw-colored, primrose- colored, creamcolored, xanthocarpous, xanthochroid, xanthopous, yellow as a quince, yellow as a guinea, yellow as a crow's foot, warm, advancing.For further exploring for "gamboge" in Webster Dictionary Online