cohesion

[ koh-hee-zhuhn ]
See synonyms for cohesion on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act or state of cohering, uniting, or sticking together.

  2. Physics. the molecular force between particles within a body or substance that acts to unite them.: Compare adhesion (def. 4).

  1. Botany. the congenital union of one part with another.

  2. Linguistics. the property of unity in a written text or a segment of spoken discourse that stems from links among its surface elements, as when words in one sentence are repeated in another, and especially from the fact that some words or phrases depend for their interpretation upon material in preceding or following text, as in the sequence Be assured of this. Most people do not want to fight. However, they will do so when provoked, where this refers to the two sentences that follow, they refers back to most people, do so substitutes for the preceding verb fight, and however relates the clause that follows to the preceding sentence.: Compare coherence (def. 5).

Origin of cohesion

1
First recorded in 1670–80; variant of cohaesion, from Latin cohaes(us) “stuck together” (past participle of cohaerēre “to stick, cling together”; see cohere) + -iō -ion

Other words from cohesion

  • co·he·sion·less, adjective
  • in·ter·co·he·sion, noun
  • non·co·he·sion, noun

Words Nearby cohesion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cohesion in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cohesion

cohesion

/ (kəʊˈhiːʒən) /


noun
  1. the act or state of cohering; tendency to unite

  2. physics the force that holds together the atoms or molecules in a solid or liquid, as distinguished from adhesion

  1. botany the fusion in some plants of flower parts, such as petals, that are usually separate

Origin of cohesion

1
C17: from Latin cohaesus stuck together, past participle of cohaerēre to cohere

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for cohesion

cohesion

[ kō-hēzhən ]


  1. The force of attraction that holds molecules of a given substance together. It is strongest in solids, less strong in liquids, and least strong in gases. Cohesion of molecules causes drops to form in liquids (as when liquid mercury is poured on a piece of glass), and causes condensing water vapor to form the droplets that make clouds. Compare adhesion.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for cohesion

cohesion

The molecular (see molecule) attraction or joining of the surfaces of two pieces of the same substance. (Compare adhesion.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.