ˈtrajəˌkan(t)th, -ˌkaa(ə)n- also -_kən- sometimes -agə(ˌ)k- or -aigə or -gə(ˌ)s- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle French tragacanthe, tragacanth, from Latin tragacantha, from Greek tragakantha, from tragos he-goat + akantha thorn — more at tragedy , acanth-
1. : a gum that is obtained as a dried exudate from various Asiatic or East European plants of the genus Astragalus (especially A. gummifer ), that is constituted of bassorin and tragacanthin, that swells in water to a gel, and that is used chiefly as an emulsifying, suspending, and thickening agent and also as a demulcent and excipient for pills
2. : a plant yielding tragacanth