gaumy

gaumy

English

Alternative forms

• gormy (US dialects, especially Southern US)

Etymology

gaum +‎ -y, from gaum (“to smear”), which see for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡɔː.mi]

Adjective

gaumy (comparative more gaumy, superlative most gaumy)

1. (US and Britain, dialectal) Sticky; smeared with something sticky.
   • 1914, Edwin Markham, Children in Bondage: A Complete and Careful Presentation:

     The narrow, dark stairs are gaumy with paste, and everywhere open barrels of the mixture gave out the sickening, sour odor that is always in the nostrils of the workers.

   • 1916, Don Marquis, Hermione and Her Little Group of Serious Thinkers, page 164:

     And Fothergil Finch, rather gaumy

     With Cosmic cosmetics, was there,

     But the Swami went just as the Swami,

     After oiling the kinks in his hair.

     I said to Hermione: "Goddess! You're graceful, you're Greek, you're a rose, […] "

   • 1946, Jessie Scott, The Charity Ball, page 259:

     Far from being gaumy with pitch, they looked rather remarkably smooth and well manicured.