adhesion

noun

ad·​he·​sion ad-ˈhē-zhən 

əd-

1

: steady or firm attachment : adherence

2

: the action or state of adhering

3

: the abnormal union of separate tissue surfaces by new fibrous tissue resulting from an inflammatory process

also : the newly formed uniting tissue

4

: agreement to join

adhesion of all nations to a copyright convention

5

: the molecular attraction exerted between the surfaces of bodies in contact

adhesional

ad-ˈhēzh-nəl 

-ˈhē-zhə-nᵊl

əd-

adjective

Synonyms

• adherence
• bonding
• cling

Examples of adhesion in a Sentence

the adhesion of the coating

the adhesion of the mud to my shoes

Recent Examples on the Web

However, past research attempts at using cheek patches were foiled by the mouth’s wet surface, which weakened adhesion. —Popular Science, 27 Sep. 2023

The authors also reported that adhesion formation with other parts of the intestines was minimal and that the blood vessels around the surgical intervention were well-supplied. —The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Aug. 2023

The obstruction was caused by adhesions, or bands of scar tissue that form between organs in the abdomen, mainly the small intestine, after surgery according to the Cleveland Clinic. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 14 July 2023

Our testing did show that a good coat of liner is required in order to get full adhesion, but the liner is easy to apply, making that process seamless as well. —Melanie Rud, Peoplemag, 3 May 2023

Anything else simply isn’t worth your time as rosin core contains a mild flux to aid adhesion and doesn’t need to be cleaned up afterward. —Matt Crisara, Popular Mechanics, 4 Apr. 2023

The most common causes of these blockages are abdominal adhesions (bands of scar-like tissue that form inside the abdomen), hernias (a sac formed by the lining of the intestines), certain cancers, and certain medications, the US National Library of Medicine notes. —Korin Miller, SELF, 14 July 2023

Riding on street-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires means there is less raw adhesion than there would be riding on slicks. —Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 6 Mar. 2023

The result is, in any case, a prejudice which emerges at the very moment in which women have to play their best card at advancing their careers and when, yet again, they are not judged for their professional abilities but rather for their adhesion to a pre-established model. —Anna Zanardi Cappon, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French or Latin; French adhésion, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin adhaesiōn-, adhaesiō, from adhaes-, variant stem of adhaerēre "to adhere" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns (expected *adhaestiō presumably simplified to adhaesiō by analogy)

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

adhesion

noun

ad·​he·​sion ad-ˈhē-zhən 

əd-

1

: steady or firm attachment

especially : a sticking together

2

: abnormal union of tissues following inflammation (as after surgery)

3

: the molecular attraction between surfaces of bodies in contact

Medical Definition

adhesion

noun

ad·​he·​sion ad-ˈhē-zhən, əd- 

1

: the action or state of adhering

specifically : a sticking together of substances (as of glue and wood or of parts united by growth)

2

a

: the abnormal union of surfaces normally separate by the formation of new fibrous tissue resulting from an inflammatory process

also : the newly formed uniting tissue

pleural adhesions

b

: the union of wound edges especially by first intention

3

: the molecular attraction exerted between the surfaces of bodies in contact compare cohesion sense 2

adhesional

-ˈhēzh-nəl, -ˈhē-zhən-ᵊl 

adjective