mastic Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an aromatic exudate from the mastic tree; used chiefly in varnishes
  2. noun a pasty cement used as an adhesive or filler
  3. noun an evergreen shrub of the Mediterranean region that is cultivated for its resin
    Pistacia lentiscus; mastic tree; lentisk.

WordNet

Mas"tic noun
Etymology
F., fr. L. mastiche, mastichum, Gr. , fr. to chew, because of its being used in the East for chewing.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A low shrubby tree of the genus Pistacia (P. Lentiscus), growing upon the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean, and producing a valuable resin; -- called also, mastic tree.
  2. A resin exuding from the mastic tree, and obtained by incision. The best is in yellowish white, semitransparent tears, of a faint smell, and is used as an astringent and an aromatic, also as an ingredient in varnishes.
  3. A kind of cement composed of burnt clay, litharge, and linseed oil, used for plastering walls, etc.

Webster 1913