Chicle
/ˈtʃɪkəl/noun
A natural gum from the sapodilla tree, formerly used as the base for chewing gum.
Did you know?Chicle entered English through Spanish from Nahuatl, where it referred to a sticky plant gum used long before industrial chewing gum turned it into a global habit.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Nahuatl
NAH
tzictli
“Sticky plant gum or chewing substance”
16th Century
Spanish
chicle
“Natural gum from the sapodilla tree”
Late 19th Century
English
chicle
“Imported natural gum used as a chewing-gum base”
Modern English
English
chicle
“The natural latex-like gum used in some chewing gums”