Tannum

Tannum is a term with multiple uses in English, most commonly referring to a geographic locality in Australia and, in older scientific language, to tannin. In geography, the name is associated with the coastal area around Tannum Sands and adjacent Boyne Island in the Gladstone Region of Queensland. This area lies on the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef coastline, opposite the city of Gladstone, and includes residential areas, beaches, and river access. Locally, the shorthand “Tannum” is often used to describe the broader community and its amenities.

In historical chemistry and botany, tannum is an archaic or Latinized form used to denote tannin, a class of polyphenolic compounds found in many plants. Tannins are well known for their role in leather tanning, as well as for astringent properties in foods and beverages. In modern terminology, tannin and tannic acid are preferred terms, and tannum appears primarily in older texts, Latin phrases, or contexts describing historical treatments and processes.

Etymology and usage: The word tannum derives from Latin tannum, meaning tan or a tan color, and shares its root with the English word tan and with tannin. While “tannum” can appear in historical or scholarly writings, contemporary usage favors tannin for the chemical class and tannic acid for related compounds, with the geographic name remaining in common local usage in Australia.

See also: tannin, tannic acid, leather tanning, Tannum Sands.