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
Fake eyelashes can sometimes lead mites to come and feast because (a) people sometimes avoid cleansing their eyes to prolong the life of their extensions and (b) extra adhesive around the lash line can trap bacteria and debris. Ali Finney, SELF, 15 Mar. 2024 Some users may experience skin irritation from the adhesive used. Rachel Murphy, Verywell Health, 1 Mar. 2024 Find it on Amazon This Screen Cleaning Pad Can Be Stored On Your Device The gel adhesive on the back of the Screen Daddy sticks right onto your devices to stay ready for use. Katiee McKinstry, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2024 The adhesive bra kept its integrity throughout the entire testing period, and the adhesive never lost its stickiness, even after four weeks of wear. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 2 Feb. 2024 Insecticides, including neonicotinoids, leave behind harmful residues that are toxic to crucial pollinators, such as honeybees, and sticky bands can inadvertently trap birds, small animals and other insects in their adhesive grip. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 Reviewers note that this reusable adhesive stays on long even after hours of wear. Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2024 Glue traps — boards coated with an adhesive meant to entrap rodents — have ensnared birds, bats, chipmunks, lizards, opossums, mice, rabbits, salamanders, snakes, turtles and even flying squirrels, Shaw said, citing the WILD-ONe database, created by the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Shoppers can save on best-sellers, including this pet hair remover roller, which snatches unwanted messes off of clothing and upholstery without wasteful adhesive sheets. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024
Noun
Use repositionable adhesive to place cut doily details around the eggs. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Mar. 2024 Cons The adhesive doesn’t stay on very well during the application process. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 Neanderthals Evidence of Advanced Tool Making Other archeological findings observed the use of adhesives like tree resin and the aforementioned ochre from ancient human communities in Africa. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024 The discovery of this early adhesive in what is now southwest France—consistent with past discoveries of similar substances made by early modern humans in Africa—supports theories that our Neanderthal relatives were more intelligent, adaptive and utilitarian than many give them credit for. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 Schmidt said that Neanderthals were already known to have made an adhesive from birch tar, which involved several steps to produce from tree bark by distillation. Katie Hunt, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 There are a couple of problems with dry adhesive, however. IEEE Spectrum, 6 Feb. 2024 False lashes: For eyelash loss, temporary lashes can be applied with washable adhesive. Heather L. Brannon, Md, Verywell Health, 27 Jan. 2024 Their study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, found that the makers of the stone tools used the adhesive to mold a handle rather than haft the tool to wood. Katie Hunt, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024

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 29 Mar. 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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