mucilage

American  

[myoo-suh-lij] / ˈmyu sə lɪdʒ /

noun

1. any of various, usually liquid, preparations of gum, glue, or the like, used as an adhesive.

2. any of various gummy secretions or gelatinous substances present in plants.

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mucilage British  

/ ˈmjuːsɪlɪdʒ, ˌmjuːsɪˈlædʒɪnəs /

noun

1. a sticky preparation, such as gum or glue, used as an adhesive

2. a complex glutinous carbohydrate secreted by certain plants

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mucilaginously
  adverb
• mucilaginousness
  noun
• mucilaginous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of mucilage

1350–1400; Middle English muscilage < Middle French musillage < Late Latin mūcilāgō a musty juice, akin to mūcēre to be musty. See mucor

Example Sentences

Mucilage, also known by the viscerally accurate description of sea snot, is produced naturally by phytoplankton and usually consumed by other marine life, including jellyfish and sea cucumbers.

From New York Times • Jul. 9, 2021

"Mucilage owes its nutritive quality to the various substances to which it serves as a vehicle."

From Time Magazine Archive

Mucilage consists of cotton-seed oil soap, together with the colouring and resinous principles separated during the treatment of the crude oil.

From The Handbook of Soap Manufacture by Simmons, W. H.

Tannin 54.5 48.5 Extractive 34.0 36.5 Mucilage 6.5 8.0 Insoluble matters, sand, lime, &c.

From The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Considered in Their Various Uses to Man and in Their Relation to the Arts and Manufactures; Forming a Practical Treatise & Handbook of Reference for the Colonist, Manufacturer, Merchant, and Consumer, on the Cultivation, Preparation for Shipment, and Commercial Value, &c. of the Various Substances Obtained From Trees and Plants, Entering into the Husbandry of Tropical and Sub-tropical Regions, &c. by Simmonds, P. L.

Mucilage owes its nourishments to the many substances of which it is the vehicle.

From The Physiology of Taste by Robinson, Fayette