gypsum

noun

gyp·​sum ˈjip-səm 

1

: a widely distributed mineral consisting of hydrous calcium sulfate that is used especially as a soil amendment and in making plaster of paris

2

: drywall

Examples of gypsum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Coal, sand, gypsum, and fly ash, crucial ingredients in making cement, all arrive at the plant by truck, and huge trucks leave to deliver cement wherever it is needed within driving distance. —Mary Ann Ashcraft, Baltimore Sun, 23 Nov. 2024

Salt Basin Dunes: Wander through the vast white gypsum dunes. —Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 26 June 2024

The truth soon came out — Hull had purchased gypsum in Iowa and hired two sculptors in Chicago to carve a petrified giant. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024

The saddle of a mountain rose behind the house, its craggy gypsum peaks pocked with wild asparagus and fennel. —Avery Keatley, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek gypsos

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

gypsum

noun

gyp·​sum ˈjip-səm 

: a colorless mineral that consists of calcium sulfate occurring in crystals or masses and that is used especially as a soil improver and in making plaster of paris

Medical Definition

gypsum

noun

gyp·​sum ˈjip-səm 

: a widely distributed mineral CaSO₄·2H₂O consisting of hydrous calcium sulfate that is used especially as a soil amendment and in making plaster of paris