1 gamboge | Definition of gamboge
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gamboge

noun
gam·​boge | \ gam-ˈbōj How to pronounce gamboge (audio) , -ˈbüzh How to pronounce gamboge (audio) \

Definition of gamboge

1 : an orange to brown gum resin from southeast Asian trees (genus Garcinia) of the Saint-John's-wort family that is used as a yellow pigment and cathartic
2 : a strong yellow

Examples of gamboge in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 In a palette of chartreuse, ocher, cinnamon and gamboge, Ito overlaid uncommon shapes, such as a rectangle rounded and pinched at the top like a loaf of Wonder Bread, into compositions of preternatural calm. — Jason Farago, New York Times, "10 Galleries to Visit Now Around SoHo and TriBeCa," 26 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gamboge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of gamboge

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for gamboge

earlier cambuge, gum-booge, latinized as cambogium, cambugium, perhaps borrowed from Portuguese Camboja cambodia, associated with the substance

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More Definitions for gamboge

gamboge

noun
gam·​boge | \ gam-ˈbōj How to pronounce gamboge (audio) , -ˈbüzh How to pronounce gamboge (audio) \

Medical Definition of gamboge

: an orange to brown gum resin from southeast Asian trees (genus Garcinia of the family Guttiferae) that is used as a yellow pigment and cathartic

— called also cambogia

More from Merriam-Webster on gamboge

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gamboge

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