viscous

adjective vis·cous \ ˈvi-skəs \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Examples: viscous in a Sentence

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

See viscous defined for English-language learners

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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

MIAMI - One day in late May 2016, Roger Stone - the political dark sorcerer and longtime confidant of Donald Trump - slipped into his Jaguar and headed out to meet a man with a Make America Great Again hat and a viscous Russian accent.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Trump associate Roger Stone reveals new contact with Russian national during 2016 campaign," 17 June 2018
The molokhia leaves are also known as jute or Jew’s mallow (a bitter green somewhere between spinach and sorrel that can get viscous, similarly to okra, when cooked).

— chris morocco, Bon Appetit, "This Braised Chicken Soup with Greens Recipe Is PERFECT for Spring," 21 May 2018
These guys contain magma (i.e., underground lava) that is quite thick and viscous.

— anna rothschild, Washington Post, "Here’s why some volcanoes are more explosive than others," 10 May 2018
By May 15, 1915, viscous lava started pooling up and filling up the crater.

— rong-gong lin ii, latimes.com, "A California volcano once obliterated a forest and propelled ash 280 miles. Experts say it offers a warning," 22 May 2018
Within a few days of receiving four shots of Teva’s thick, viscous, antibody-containing solution in the back of her arms and the skin around her hips, however, the migraines disappeared.

— emily underwood, Science | AAAS, "Will antibodies finally put an end to migraines?," 18 May 2018
The flavor comes from vinasse, a viscous distillation residue that's mixed with fresh molasses in a 10-day fermentation process.

— kate krader, chicagotribune.com, "These Caribbean rum distilleries are worth a vacation in themselves," 14 May 2018
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

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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