mucilaginous

American  

[myoo-suh-laj-uh-nuhs] / ˌmyu səˈlædʒ ə nəs /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or secreting mucilage.

2. of the nature of or resembling mucilage; moist, soft, and viscid.

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Other Word Forms

• mucilaginously adverb
• nonmucilaginous adjective

Etymology

Origin of mucilaginous

1640–50; < Late Latin mūcilāgin- (stem of mūcilāgō ) mucilage + -ous

Example Sentences

But there is one little thing: Okra, like marshmallow root and aloe vera, is mucilaginous, meaning it can get slimy when sliced and cooked.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2025

The slick surface of seaweeds such as seaweed and kelp is attributed to alginate, a mucilaginous substance.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2024

That impulse is countered by the mantle, the mucilaginous layer above the outer core and below Earth’s crust, the immense gravitational field of which grasps the inner core and slows its spin.

From New York Times • Jan. 23, 2023

Raw-food devotees like to make flaxseed crackers from a mucilaginous slurry of seeds soaked in water.

From Slate • Nov. 3, 2011

Gelatinous or mucilaginous degenerations of cell-walls are frequently employed in the interests of spore dispersal.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 "Frost" to "Fyzabad" by Various