sticker

American  

[stik-er] / ˈstɪk ər /

noun

stickers plural

1. a person or thing that sticks.

2. an adhesive label.

3. Informal. sticker price.

4. something, as a problem or riddle, that puzzles or nonpluses one.

5. Slang. a knife, especially one used as a weapon by a criminal.

6. a worker who kills animals in a slaughterhouse by piercing the jugular vein with a pointed instrument.

7. a bur, thorn, or the like.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the sticker price of an automobile.

   Customers are experiencing sticker shock at the high price of new cars.

verb (used with object)

1. to place a sticker on.

sticker British  

/ ˈstɪkə /

noun

1. an adhesive label, poster, or paper

2. a person or thing that sticks

3. a persevering or industrious person

4. something prickly, such as a thorn, that clings to one's clothing, etc

5. informal something that perplexes

6. informal a knife used for stabbing or piercing

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• stickers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sticker

First recorded in 1575–85; stick ² + -er ¹

Explanation

A sticker is a label or a decoration with a sticky back, so it can be pasted anywhere. If you're a big fan of superheroes, you might cover your notebooks with Wonder Woman stickers. Sticker usually refers to the kitten stickers your brother sticks on his bedroom windows or the adhesive labels that you peel off your banana. Some plants also have stickers (also known as burrs, prickles, or thorns) — the kind that get stuck in your sweater after a walk in the woods. The term sticker price means the listed price for a car or some other item offered for sale.

Example Sentences

Even in my fire company, where we are dedicated to preventing loss of life, skulls are on practically every T-shirt, bumper sticker, and key chain.

From Slate • Jul. 10, 2026

I’ve seen it on many products, in many different presentations — pink-glitter bubble letters on a sticker, loopy black cursive on a tote bag, industrial embroidery on a hat.

From Salon • Jul. 7, 2026

Clearly, these influences have been on Coffin’s mind since long before there was a Minions sticker on half the minivans at school drop-off.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026

Messrs. Hargis and Kreitz decline to disclose the sticker price, though public budget documents suggest it is less than $500,000 a missile.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

“Thanks for the sappy bumper sticker, ceiling lady.”

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• amount
• bill
• cost
• demand
• discount
• estimate
• expenditure
• expense
• fare
• fee
• figure
• output
• pay
• payment
• premium
• rate
• return
• tariff
• valuation
• worth