viscous

adjective vis·cous \ ˈvi-skəs \

Updated on: 18 May 2018

Definition of viscous

1 : having a thick or sticky consistency : viscid

viscous secretions

viscous corn syrup

2 technical : having or characterized by a high resistance to flow

viscous lava

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viscously

adverb

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viscousness

noun

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See viscous defined for kids

Examples of viscous in a Sentence

viscous syrup that takes forever to pour from a narrow-neck bottle

Recent Examples of viscous from the Web

Light syrup is just mildly sweetened water, perfect for containing the cherries but not turning the whole jar into a viscous, tooth-ache-inducing mess.

— emma wartzman, Bon Appetit, "These Jarred Sour Cherries Should Live In Your Pantry," 9 May 2018
This had the effect of making the water more viscous, which slowed the diffusion of the activator.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "Alan Turing’s chemistry hypothesis turned into a desalination filter," 5 May 2018
Not just any Manhattan, but an inspired viscous brew called a Black Manhattan ($14) made of Rittenhouse Rye and Angostura bitters where Averna, an Italian digestif amaro, replaces traditional sweet vermouth.

— michael nagrant, RedEye Chicago, "Drink this: Black Manhattan at The Hive at Honey’s," 21 June 2017
It was coated in a viscous white goo, and a black shoelace had been knotted around its neck.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "The “Cadillac of Mailboxes” Arrives in N.Y.C.," 30 Apr. 2018
Generally less viscous than BHO or rosin hash, CO2 oil is often sold preloaded into vaporizer cartridges or disposable vaporizer pens.

— alex wigglesworth, latimes.com, "Legal weed in California: A consumer's guide," 20 Apr. 2018
The experts estimate there's a lot more oil on the North Slope: 26 billion barrels of conventional oil onshore and in ANWR, 24 billion barrels of heavy/viscous oil and 27 billion barrels offshore.

— bill corbus, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska’s current oil tax and royalty rates are fair. The Legislature shouldn’t change them.," 25 Mar. 2018
Full of raisins, dates, brown sugar and licorice, this thick and viscous wine is a good introduction to the style.

— michael austin, chicagotribune.com, "How to enjoy Pedro Ximenez sherry," 18 Apr. 2018
Finding a trail of Novichok would be more difficult because it is carried in two parts that are combined to create a viscous liquid only shortly before use, said Mr. Trapp.

— thomas grove, WSJ, "Puzzle in Hit on Russian Spy: How Did Attackers Get the Nerve Agent?," 16 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'viscous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of viscous

Middle English viscouse, from Anglo-French viscos, from Late Latin viscosus full of birdlime, viscous, from Latin viscum mistletoe, birdlime; akin to Old High German wīhsila cherry, Greek ixos mistletoe

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year