n.
Pronunciation: ' tra-j ə - ˌ kan(t)th, ' tra-g ə -, -k ə n(t)th; also ' tra-g ə - ˌ san(t)th
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French tragacanthe, from Latin tragacantha, from Greek tragakantha, from tragos goat + akantha thorn
Date: 1573
: a gum obtained from various Asian or East European plants (genus Astragalus and especially A. gummifer ) of the legume family that swells in water and is used chiefly as an emulsifying, suspending, or thickening agent