adhesive
Americanadjective
-
coated with glue, paste, mastic, or other sticky substance.
adhesive bandages.
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sticking fast; sticky; clinging.
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Physics. of or relating to the molecular force that exists in the area of contact between unlike bodies and that acts to unite them.
noun
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a substance that causes something to adhere, as glue or rubber cement.
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Philately. a postage stamp with a gummed back, as distinguished from one embossed or printed on an envelope or card.
adjective
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able or designed to adhere; sticky
adhesive tape
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tenacious or clinging
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adhesive
First recorded in 1660–70; adhes(ion) + -ive
Explanation
An adhesive is something sticky that holds things together. Use an adhesive to repair a cracked plate. Adhesive comes from the Latin adhaerere, meaning "stick to," which is precisely what something adhesive does — it sticks to things. An adhesive bonds surfaces together. It's the sticky side on a roll of duct tape that causes it to be so effective. The word can be used to describe both the substance itself: to use an adhesive, for example — or its property of stickiness: an adhesive bandage sticks to the skin.
Vocabulary lists containing adhesive
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nearly 50 butterflies are cataloged in these pages through rinpun, a technique that uses adhesive to transfer the scales from butterfly wings onto paper.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
The technique involves attaching an original sketch to an adhesive backing, cutting it out, strategically sprinkling sand on the desired areas, then removing any misplaced grains one by one.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
The mechanism works by moving an adhesive coated belt around the outside of the cell, pulling the bacterium forward in a motion that resembles a microscopic snowmobile.
From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026
"Hair has an adhesive quality and the ability to capture certain contaminants," says Mattia Carenini, Global Hubs Director at Matter of Trust.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
His arm was bandaged up and he had an adhesive plaster on the comer of his mouth.
From "The Stranger" by Albert Camus
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
