A West Indian tree (Bursera simaruba) that produces a gum or resin used in varnishes and medicines.
From French gommier, derived from gomme (gum), from Latin gummi. The -ier suffix indicates an agent or thing that produces the material, literally 'the tree that gives gum.'
The gommier tree was historically so valuable to Caribbean settlers that its resin was used not just for practical varnishes but also as a traditional remedy, making it one of the first 'multipurpose' plants exploited by colonists.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.