What does resin mean?
Resin is a sticky substance produced by plants, especially trees, that commonly hardens when exposed to air. Trees may release it to seal wounds, repel insects, or protect damaged tissue, and people have long collected and processed it for useful purposes. In modern contexts, however, 'resin' often means a synthetic material used to make coatings, adhesives, jewellery, sculptures, electrical components, and other durable products. Natural and synthetic resins are both widely associated with art, craft, music, and manufacturing. The term can also evoke amber, a fossilized tree resin in which ancient organisms are sometimes preserved. Related materials include rosin, a form of pine resin used for violin bows and other purposes, and resinous substances generally. Although resin can refer to a specific botanical secretion, its modern applications often involve materials engineered for strength, transparency, insulation, or resistance to moisture and decay.
A sticky plant substance, especially that secreted by trees, which can harden into a solid; also, any of various synthetic or natural materials used in adhesives, coatings, sculpture, and crafts.
"Beads of resin collected around a wound in the tree's trunk."
The sense is broad in modern English: in industrial and craft contexts it often refers to a synthetic polymer rather than unprocessed plant resin.
To seal, coat, fill, or finish something with resin.
"The artist resined the surface of the wooden panel before applying varnish."
This verb is common in specialist craft, conservation, and manufacturing contexts but is less common in general everyday use.
Used when referring to different types of resin or to distinct natural or synthetic resin materials.
"Different resins are used to make the protective coating."
Amber is tree resin that has survived for millions of years, preserving the insects and plant fragments trapped inside it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does resin come from?
The word comes through Old French resine from Latin resina, a term for the resin of trees. Latin resina was borrowed from Greek rhētinē, the ancient Greek word for resin. The English word has long referred both to the natural substance produced by trees and to materials made from resin-like substances.
Related word forms
How resin is actually used
In botany and everyday plant-related contexts, resin refers specifically to the sticky plant secretion. In modern craft, art, and industrial contexts, it often denotes a synthetic or composite resin rather than material obtained directly from plants. The spelling 'resin' is standard in British and American English.
Easily confused with resin
Resin is a sticky plant substance or a material made from it, whereas a raisin is a dried grape.
Resin is the broader substance produced by plants or synthesized chemically, while rosin is the sticky material obtained mainly from pine resin and used by musicians and craftspeople.