Gummers

/ˈɡʌmərz/ noun

Definition

People or animals that gum things, or those who chew without using their teeth, especially babies or elderly people without teeth.

Etymology

From 'gum' (to chew or stick with gum) plus the agent suffix '-er' meaning 'one who does,' pluralized with '-s.' The base 'gum' comes from Old English and relates to the soft tissue in the mouth.

Kelly Says

Babies are natural gummers—they explore the world by putting everything in their mouths and gumming it before they even have teeth to chew with. This behavior actually helps develop their jaw muscles and prepares them for eating solid food.

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