adjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Usage
The noun mucus is often misspelled mucous . Mucous can only be correctly used as an adjective
Other Word Forms
- mucosity noun
- nonmucous adjective
- submucous adjective
Etymology
Origin of mucous
1640–50; < Latin mūcōsus slimy, mucous, equivalent to mūc ( us ) snot ( mucus ) + -ōsus -ous
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.
The fluid consistency of milk may allow the virus to make greater contact with mucous membranes in the throat, while cheese likely provides less exposure time for infection to begin.
From Science Daily
Inhalation of selenium vapors may also cause dizziness, fatigue, irritation of the mucous membranes and respiratory effects.
From Los Angeles Times
Coming in second place was the orange roughy, a deep-sea fish in the slimehead family - known for the mucous canals on their heads.
From BBC
Most alcohol enters the bloodstream via the mucous membrane layer of the stomach and the intestines.
From Science Daily
The disease causes tongue and mucous membrane lesions, problems with swallowing, lameness and stiffness, affecting animal welfare and leading to a reduction in milk yields.
From BBC
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.
