mucilage
Americannoun
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any of various, usually liquid, preparations of gum, glue, or the like, used as an adhesive.
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any of various gummy secretions or gelatinous substances present in plants.
noun
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a sticky preparation, such as gum or glue, used as an adhesive
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a complex glutinous carbohydrate secreted by certain plants
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Very white Sugar, in fine powder, 95 Mucilage of Gum Tragacanth, q.s.
From North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826 by Bache, Franklin
Mucilage has no real place in a library.
From Library Bookbinding by Bailey, Arthur Low
Mucilage, or bassorin, is simply a modified form of gum, which, though insoluble in water, forms a gelatinous mixture with that fluid.
From The Stock-Feeder's Manual the chemistry of food in relation to the breeding and feeding of live stock by Cameron, Charles Alexander, Sir
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.
