Definition of adhesion
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
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Examples of adhesion in a Sentence
the adhesion of the coating
the adhesion of the mud to my shoes
Recent Examples of adhesion from the Web
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The surgeon arrived and operated on our son, unfurling his intestines, removing 21 adhesions and carefully placing his bowels back inside his abdomen.
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That’s because vibrations were breaking the adhesion between the piles and the sand—an effect called liquefaction.
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Cars that corner too flat often belie their limits of adhesion.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adhesion'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of adhesion
French or Latin; French adhésion, from Latin adhaesion-, adhaesio, from adhaerēre
ADHESION Defined for English Language Learners
adhesion
playDefinition of adhesion for English Language Learners
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: the act of adhering; especially : the act of sticking or attaching to something
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medical : a condition in which body tissues that are supposed to be separate grow together because of swelling after surgery
ADHESION Defined for Kids
adhesion
playDefinition of adhesion for Students
: the act or state of sticking They tested the adhesion of the paint to the wall.
Medical Dictionary
adhesion
playMedical Definition of adhesion
1: the action or state of adhering; specifically : a sticking together of substances (as of glue and wood or of parts united by growth)
2a: 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 adhesionsb: the union of wound edges especially by first intention
3: the molecular attraction exerted between the surfaces of bodies in contact—compare cohesion 2
Learn More about adhesion
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See words that rhyme with adhesion Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for adhesion Spanish Central: Translation of adhesion Nglish: Translation of adhesion for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of adhesion for Arabic speakers
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