resin

resin — noun

1. Trees such as pines and firs give off a sticky, thick liquid called resin when t

1.nounB2
Definition

Trees such as pines and firs give off a sticky, thick liquid called resin when the bark is cut or injured. The liquid hardens into a yellow or brown solid once it meets the air. Chemically made versions, also called resin, are used in plastics, glues, and protective coatings.

Example

When pine bark is cut, resin oozes out and hardens, sealing the wound.

natural resin from conifer trees

The Japanese craftsman used natural resin to give the wooden bowl a glossy, waterproof finish.

Common collocations
  • pine resin
  • epoxy resin
  • synthetic resin
  • natural resin
  • resin coating
  • fossilised resin
  • resin varnish
  • resin adhesive
  • resin-based
Synonyms
  • rosin

    Rosin is a specific form of resin — pine resin that has been heated to remove the volatile oils. Used on violin bows and in soldering. Not a general substitute for 'resin'.

  • gum

    Unlike resin, gum dissolves in water and comes from plants such as acacia. Used in food and medicine as a thickener. Resin is water-resistant and typically water-insoluble.

  • sap

    Sap is the watery, nutrient-carrying fluid inside a living tree. Resin is a separate, thicker defensive substance the tree produces only when injured. Do not treat them as the same thing.

Usage Note

Natural resin comes mainly from conifers such as pine and fir, and from some tropical trees. Synthetic resins — like epoxy, polyester, and acrylic — dominate industrial applications in adhesives, coatings, and composite materials. The uncountable form is far more common; countable uses (e.g. 'a resin' meaning a specific type) appear in technical contexts.

Common Mistakes

The sap from this pine tree is hard and yellow.
The resin from this pine tree is hard and yellow.
Sap is the watery liquid that flows inside a tree; resin is the thick, sticky substance that oozes out when the bark is damaged and hardens on contact with air.

resin — verb

Word family

  • resinous
    adjectiveC1
  • resinate
    verbC2
  • rosin
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three are plant-derived substances, but they differ in chemistry and use. Resin (B2) is a thick, water-resistant secretion that hardens in air — used in varnish, adhesives, and plastics. Rosin (C1) is a specific form of pine resin that has been heated to drive off volatile oils; it is brittle at room temperature and is used almost exclusively on violin bows and in soldering flux — you cannot say 'rosin' where a general industrial resin is meant. Gum (B2) dissolves in water and comes from different plants (acacia, guar); it is used as a food thickener and adhesive that can be washed off with water — unlike resin, which is water-insoluble. Sap (B1) is the watery, sugar-rich fluid that travels through a tree's vascular system to nourish it; it is not a protective secretion and does not harden. A useful distinction: sap flows inside the tree to feed it, resin oozes out when the tree is injured to protect it, gum dissolves in water, and rosin is resin that has been cooked down for a specific industrial role.

rosingum ↗sap

Common collocations

Nouns

  • resin coating
  • resin content
  • resin floor
  • resin jewellery
  • resin casting
  • resin art

Adverbs

  • freshly resined
  • previously resined
  • heavily resined

Phrases

  • natural tree resin
  • synthetic epoxy resin
  • resin and hardener
  • resin-based adhesive

Prepositions

  • made of resin
  • treated with resin
  • coated in resin
  • crafted from resin

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Resin entered English from Old French resine, which came from Latin resina, meaning a sticky substance from trees. The Latin word itself was borrowed from Greek ῥητίνη (rhētinē), which referred specifically to pine resin. The word has been used in English since the 1300s for tree secretions. The synthetic-resin sense appeared in the early 1900s following the invention of Bakelite, the first fully man-made plastic.