BENZOIN' BEN'JAMIN, noun Gum benjamin; a concrete resinous juice flowing from the Styrax benzoin a tree of Sumatra, etc. It is properly a balsam, as it yields benzoic acid. It flows from incisions made in the stem or branches. It is solid and brittle, sometimes in yellowish white tears joined together by a brown substance, and sometimes of a uniform brown substance like resin. It has little taste, but its smell, especially when rubbed or heated, is extremely fragrant and agreeable. It is chiefly used in cosmetics and perfumes.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI