rosin

Everyday

1. Rosin is a hard, sticky, amber-coloured substance made from pine tree sap. tree →
2. Violin, viola, cello and double bass players rub rosin on the bow so the hairs grip the strings and make a sound. tree →
3. Athletes such as gymnasts, dancers, baseball pitchers and climbers use powdered rosin to stop their hands or shoes slipping. tree →
4. To rosin something is to rub rosin on it. tree →

In the lessons

In music lessons rosin is the little block in the violin case; without it the bow makes almost no sound. In science it is an example of a natural resin from trees. In sport and safety it helps with grip. Phrases: rosin the bow, a block of rosin, rosin bag.

Examples

• Before the concert, Mia rubbed rosin on her violin bow. tree →
• Without rosin, the bow just slides and the cello stays quiet. tree →
• Rosin is made from the sap of pine trees. tree →
• The ballet dancers dipped their shoes in rosin so they would not slip. tree →
• The baseball pitcher squeezed the rosin bag before throwing. tree →
• Rosin dust collected on the strings, so he wiped them with a cloth. tree →
• Remember to rosin your bow, but not too much! tree →

Note

Uncountable: «some rosin», «a block of rosin». Do not confuse with «resin» (the general word for sticky tree sap or plastic) or with «raisin» (a dried grape). Rosin is a kind of resin.