Word Study
resin
CIDE DICTIONARY
resin, n. [F. résine, 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). [1913 Webster]" 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." [1913 Webster]
- 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]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
resin, n. & v.
--n.
1 an adhesive inflammable substance insoluble in water, secreted by some plants, and often extracted by incision, esp. from fir and pine (cf. GUM(1)).
2 (in full synthetic resin) a solid or liquid organic compound made by polymerization etc. and used in plastics etc.
--v.tr. (resined, resining) rub or treat with resin.
--n.
1 an adhesive inflammable substance insoluble in water, secreted by some plants, and often extracted by incision, esp. from fir and pine (cf. GUM(1)).
2 (in full synthetic resin) a solid or liquid organic compound made by polymerization etc. and used in plastics etc.
--v.tr. (resined, resining) rub or treat with resin.
Derivative
resinate n. resinate v.tr. resinoid adj. & n. resinous adj.
Etymology
ME resyn, rosyn f. L resina & med.L rosina, rosinum
THESAURUS
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, tragacanthROGET THESAURUS
resin
Resin
N resin, rosin, gum, lac, sealing wax, amber, ambergris, bitumen, pitch, tar, asphalt, asphaltum, camphor, varnish, copal, mastic, magilp, lacquer, japan, artificial resin, polymer, ion-exchange resin, cation-exchange resin, anion exchange resin, water softener, Amberlite, Dowex, Diaion, resiny, resinous, bituminous, pitchy, tarry, asphaltic, asphaltite.For further exploring for "resin" in Webster Dictionary Online