adhesive

1 of 2

adjective

ad·​he·​sive ad-ˈhē-siv How to pronounce adhesive (audio) -ziv How to pronounce adhesive (audio)
əd-
1
: tending to remain in association or memory
2
: tending to adhere or cause adherence
3
: prepared for adhering
4
medical : characterized by the formation of new fibrous tissue resulting from an inflammatory process
adhesive inflammations
adhesively adverb
adhesiveness noun

adhesive

2 of 2

noun

1
: an adhesive substance (such as glue or cement)
2
: a postage stamp with a gummed back

Examples of adhesive in a Sentence

Adjective Cover the cut with an adhesive bandage. walked barefoot through adhesive, clayey mud Noun You'll need a strong adhesive to attach the boards. prefers postage stamps coated with adhesive so that she doesn't have to do any licking
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Donut-style adhesive pads: Moleskin pads and other padding products that protect the corn or callus from pain and pressure can be purchased at your local drugstore. Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2024 The adhesive strips that Apple has long used require skill to pull out and subsequently release the battery. Janhoi McGregor, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Noun
When the aircraft gently landed on branches, genetic material which was present on those branches got transferred onto the adhesive for subsequent analysis. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2024 The adhesive used to repair the vase was brown and discolored. Dennis Kight, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for adhesive 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adhesive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin adhaesīvus, from Latin adhaesus (past participle of adhaerēre "to adhere") + -īvus -ive

Noun

derivative of adhesive entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of adhesive was in 1661

Dictionary Entries Near adhesive

Cite this Entry

“Adhesive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adhesive. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

adhesive

1 of 2 adjective
ad·​he·​sive ad-ˈhē-siv How to pronounce adhesive (audio)
əd-,
-ziv
: tending to adhere : prepared for adhering
adhesiveness noun

adhesive

2 of 2 noun
: an adhesive substance (as glue or cement)

Medical Definition

adhesive

1 of 2 adjective
ad·​he·​sive -ˈhē-siv How to pronounce adhesive (audio) -ziv How to pronounce adhesive (audio)
1
a
: tending to adhere or cause adherence
adhesive resins
b
: prepared for adhering
an adhesive bandage
2
: characterized by adhesions
adhesive inflammation
adhesively adverb

adhesive

2 of 2 noun
1
: an adhesive substance
especially : a substance (as glue, starch, paste, or mucilage) that bonds two materials together by adhering to the surface of each
2

More from Merriam-Webster on adhesive

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