A.Word.A.Day --gamboge

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gamboge

PRONUNCIATION:

(gam-BOJ, -BOOZH)

MEANING:

noun:
1. A strong yellow color.
2. A gum resin obtained from the sap of trees of the genus Garcinia, used as a yellow pigment and as a cathartic.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin gambogium, variant of cambugium, after Cambodia where, among other places in Southeast Asia, this tree is found.

USAGE:

"In Li Nong's works, the marshy environment is shown as something mysterious, pleasant and beautiful even, and his play of tones probably spanning the repertoire of gamboge, and cadmium, with streaks of impastoes, add to the tactile quality."
Ooi Kok Chuen; For the Zhangs, East Meets West; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Mar 9, 2001.

"What do you make of synaesthesia? Since a lot of your work is sensual, is finding a way of making visual emotions or reactions to particular natural or made stimuli, do you think thus, that happiness is gamboge, ennui is grey, and so on?"
Jonathan Meades; True Colours; The Times (London, UK); Mar 31, 2001.

See more usage examples of gamboge in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy. -Florence Scovel Shinn, writer, artist and teacher (1871-1940)

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