adhesive

UK/ədˈhiː.sɪv/US/ədˈhi.sɪv/

nounB2Occasional — familiar, but not everyday · #8,563 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: adhesives

An adhesive is any substance that sticks two things together. A strong adhesive, apply the adhesive, adhesive tape.

Sticking depends on two different things: adhesion between the glue and each surface, and cohesion within the glue itself, and a joint fails at whichever is weaker. Roughening and cleaning a surface first matters more than which adhesive is used.

Definitions of adhesive

1nounadhesiveA substance that sticks two things together.B2
“Apply a thin layer of adhesive to both surfaces and press them together.”

adhesive is a substance.

Where it comes from

Latin adhaerere means to stick to — ad, to, plus haerere, to cling. Adhere and hesitate are relatives.

French
adhésif
English, today
adhesive

From French adhésif. From French adhésif, from Medieval Latin adhaesivus, from adhaereō (supine adhaesum); see adhere.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Materials & Substances

Practise this word

adhesive in the wild

From then until the 1900s increases in adhesive use and discovery were relatively gradual.
Adhesive
Only since the 20th century has the development of synthetic adhesives accelerated rapidly, and innovation in the field continues to the present.
Adhesive
Band-Aid is a brand of adhesive bandages distributed by the consumer health company Kenvue, spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023.
Band-Aid
Invented in 1920, the brand has become a generic term for adhesive bandages in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and others.
Band-Aid
Labels are most often affixed to packaging and containers using an adhesive, or sewing when affixed to clothing.
Label

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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