sticker
Americannoun
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stickers
plural
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a person or thing that sticks.
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an adhesive label.
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Informal. sticker price.
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something, as a problem or riddle, that puzzles or nonpluses one.
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Slang. a knife, especially one used as a weapon by a criminal.
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a worker who kills animals in a slaughterhouse by piercing the jugular vein with a pointed instrument.
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a bur, thorn, or the like.
adjective
verb (used with object)
noun
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an adhesive label, poster, or paper
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a person or thing that sticks
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a persevering or industrious person
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something prickly, such as a thorn, that clings to one's clothing, etc
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informal something that perplexes
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informal a knife used for stabbing or piercing
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sticker
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Given these arrangements, is it any wonder that many graduates experience sticker shock on entering adult life?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
While TJ acknowledges her family is fortunate enough to afford it, she says the sticker shock from inflation is real — and it’s changing how she shops for everyday essentials.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Clothing is tagged with a green sticker when it has been authorised.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
You also still might be experiencing sticker shock on the Lakers’ behalf.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
When I sit down across from Mr. Gore I notice the Duke bumper sticker above his filing cabinet and start to get mad, although I’m not really sure why.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
Instead they take still images of vehicles, capturing the make, model, color, license plate data and other distinguishing features such as bumper stickers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
It stood outside a brick six-flat, also fittingly painted blue, and decorated with a few stickers: “Protect Native Plants,” a rocket ship from a regional space camp, several iridescent birds.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Shoppers will also win prizes along the way, such as tote bags, pins, stickers and a free audiobook.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
A cleaning tip to liberate your home from sticker tyranny: If you have a kiddo in your life, you know that stickers can magically appear on just about every surface within their arm’s reach.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
I see myself sitting cross-legged like I am now, but I'm showing Khalil how to do the price stickers.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
