Rosin; a solid, brittle substance obtained from pine tar, used for violin bows, sealing wax, and varnish.
From Latin 'colophonia,' named after Colophon, an ancient city in Asia Minor known for producing this resin. The substance was called 'Colophon rosin' because that city was famous for it.
Every violin bow is coated with colophony—that's how the bow grabs the strings and makes them vibrate. Without it, you'd just be dragging smooth wood across strings silently, so colophony is literally what makes violins sound beautiful.
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