Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun See goom.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Appalachian variant of gum: gunk.
  • noun Ireland A silly foolish person

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the Irish gám.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English gomme, gumme, from Anglo-Norman gome, from Late Latin gumma, from Latin cummi, gummi, from Ancient Greek κόμμι (kómmi), from Egyptian ḳmj-t (qemỵt, qemài) 'acanthus resin'.

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Examples

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  • "'He'll settle down,' said Nancy, blithely unconscious of the volcano of emotion under her feet. 'A poor gom like that, brought up in the wilds, what more could you expect?'"

    - Frank O'Connor, 'The Cheapjack'.

    September 6, 2008

  • Gladstone's nickname was "Grand Old Man", or GOM. Disraeli's comment was that GOM actually stood for "God's Only Mistake".

    March 16, 2009