black gum

noun

: a tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) of the eastern U.S. with light and soft but tough wood

Examples of black gum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Nine different types of tree, from small to large are available, including the Japanese tree lilac, the wide yellowwood tree, black gum, ginko and the serviceberry, a favorite of foragers for its edible fruit. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026 Shade Trees: Oak, sweetgum, hornbeam, black gum, ash, hickory, gingko. Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 25 Jan. 2026 But beech, maple, sycamore and black gum are also native to Indiana and also support forest ecosystems by providing shelter and protein to a variety of animals. Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 29 Oct. 2025 The 200,000-acre park is covered with beech, birch and hickory trees that turn yellow, while black gums and maples offer shades of red. Graham Averill, Outside, 26 Sep. 2025 Our two little investigators also realize, thanks to Alex’s reporting on the protest, that the leader of Extinction Revolt is wearing the same shirt as the faceless man in the video of the kid with black gums Bradley’s source sent her. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025 The heavy clay soil is wet year round and supports large tracts of swamp white oak and black gum trees ringed by carpets of wildflowers and ferns. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Dec. 2024 Elliott looks up and envisions a black gum with deep red-orange leaves in the fall. Bishop Sand, Washington Post, 6 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1709, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black gum was in 1709

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Cite this Entry

“Black gum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20gum. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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