adhesive

American  

[ad-hee-siv, -ziv] / ædˈhi sɪv, -zɪv /

adjective

1. coated with glue, paste, mastic, or other sticky substance.

   adhesive bandages.

2. sticking fast; sticky; clinging.

3. Physics. of or relating to the molecular force that exists in the area of contact between unlike bodies and that acts to unite them.

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noun

• adhesives
  plural

1. a substance that causes something to adhere, as glue or rubber cement.

2. adhesive tape.

3. Philately. a postage stamp with a gummed back, as distinguished from one embossed or printed on an envelope or card.

adhesive British  

/ ədˈhiːsɪv /

adjective

1. able or designed to adhere; sticky

   adhesive tape

2. tenacious or clinging

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noun

1. a substance used for sticking objects together, such as glue, cement, or paste

adhesive Scientific  

/ ăd-hē′sĭv /

1. A substance, such as paste or cement, that causes two surfaces to stick together. Adhesives are made of gelatin or other substances, such as epoxy, resin, or polyethylene.

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1. Relating to adhesion.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• adhesiveness
  noun
• nonadhesiveness
  noun
• semiadhesiveness
  noun
• unadhesiveness
  noun
• nonadhesive
  adjective
• semiadhesive
  adjective
• unadhesive
  adjective
• adhesively
  adverb
• nonadhesively
  adverb
• semiadhesively
  adverb
• unadhesively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• adhesives
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of adhesive

First recorded in 1660–70; adhes(ion) + -ive

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

adhesive adhesives

There were robust volumes in adhesive technologies, with a tailwind from forward buying, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

The system relies on a non destructive, controlled release adhesive that attaches without requiring built in mounting hardware.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

"The ants it preys on have adhesive pads on their feet, so the contraction of the bundle of tension lines has to overcome a force of many times the ant's body weight to lift it."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

But Hong Kong-based startup PointFit offers a less intrusive alternative using an adhesive patch, whose tiny sensor reads levels of biomarkers like glucose and cortisol from the sweat on users' skin.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

The sun-baked car didn’t have air conditioning and the back of my shirt turned into wet adhesive, binding clammy skin to black leatherette.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Lactones are essential starting materials for biodegradable plastics and polyurethanes, while epoxides are used to manufacture adhesives, protective coatings, and epoxy resins found in electronic materials.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

Henkel, a company that makes adhesives as well as laundry and hair-care products, bought Sun Products roughly a decade ago.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

The German consumer-goods group, which produces adhesives, haircare lines, and laundry products, booked 4.7% organic sales growth over the April-June period, picking up pace from the year’s first quarter and beating analysts’ estimates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Safe adhesives, like lash glue, will keep it in place.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

The adhesives are printed in attractive colours, with bold designs, indicative of Russian art.

From Peeps at Postage Stamps by Stanley Currie Johnson

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Related Words

• gummy
• sticky

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