a translucent brittle amber substance produced in the distillation of crude turpentine oleoresin and used esp in making varnishes, printing inks, and sealing waxes and for treating the bows of stringed instruments
2. (not in technical usage) another name for resin (sense 1)
verb
3. (transitive)
to treat or coat with rosin
Derived forms
rosiny (ˈrosiny)
adjective
Word origin
C14: variant of resin
rosin in American English
(ˈrɑzən)
noun
1.
the hard, brittle resin, light-yellow to almost black in color, remaining after oil of turpentine has been distilled from crude turpentine or obtainedfrom chemically treated pine stumps: it is used in making varnish, inks, soaps, insulation, etc., and is rubbed on violin bows to prevent slipping on the strings, or on the hands to prevent slipping on gymnastic equipment, etc.