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adhesion

 [ad-hee-zhuhn]   Example Sentences Origin

ad·he·sion

   [ad-hee-zhuhn]
noun
1.
the act or state of adhering; state of being adhered or united: the adhesion of parts united by growth.
2.
steady or devoted attachment, support, etc.; adherence.
3.
assent; concurrence.
4.
Physics. the molecular force of attraction in the area of contact between unlike bodies that acts to hold them together. Compare cohesion (def. 2).
5.
Pathology.
a.
the abnormal union of adjacent tissues.
b.
the tissue involved.
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6.
Botany. the union of normally separate parts.
7.
Railroads.
a.
the frictional resistance of rails to the tendency of driving wheels to slip.
b.
factor of adhesion.
COLLAPSE
Origin:
1615–25; < Medieval Latin adhēsiōn- for Latin adhaesiōn- (stem of adhaesiō) a clinging, equivalent to adhaes(us), past participle of adhaerēre to adhere + -iōn- -ion

Related forms
ad·he·sion·al, adjective
non·ad·he·sion, noun

Can be confused: adherence, adherents, adhesion.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Adhesion is always a great word to know.
So is surface tension. Does it mean:
the direct effect that one kind of particle has on another in inducing the emission or absorption of one particle by another
the elasticlike force existing in the surface of a liquid caused by asymmetries in the intermolecular forces between surface molecules
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Example Sentences
  • Italy was named as the one power which had not given in, its adhesion to the principle involved in our demand.
  • By adding different mixtures of amino acids, they think they can encourage adhesion between other sorts of cells.
  • But the team had been unable to reject a competing hypothesis, which holds that the adhesion arises from water-based forces.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
adhesion (ədˈhiːʒən)
 
—n
1.  the quality or condition of sticking together or holding fast
2.  ability to make firm contact without skidding or slipping
3.  attachment or fidelity, as to a political party, cause, etc
4.  an attraction or repulsion between the molecules of unlike substances in contact: distinguished from cohesion
5.  pathol abnormal union of structures or parts
 
usage  Adhesion is the preferred term when talking about sticking or holding fast in a physical sense. Adherence is preferred when talking about attachment to a political party, cause, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

adhesion
1620s, from Fr. adhésion, from L. adhaesionem (nom. adhaesio), noun of action from pp. stem of adhaerare (see adherence).
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"Adhesion is generally used in the material, and adherence in the metaphysical sense." [Johnson] COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

adhesion ad·he·sion (ād-hē'zhən)
n.

  1. A condition in which body tissues that are normally separate grow together.

  2. A fibrous band of scar tissue that binds together normally separate anatomical structures.

  3. The union of opposing surfaces of a wound, especially in healing. Also called conglutination.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
adhesion   (ād-hē'zhən)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. The force of attraction that causes two different substances to join. Adhesion causes water to spread out over glass. Compare cohesion.

  2. A fibrous band of abnormal tissue that binds together tissues that are normally separate. Adhesions form during the healing of some wounds, usually as a result of inflammation.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

adhesion definition


The molecular (see molecule) attraction that holds the surfaces of two dissimilar substances together. (Compare cohesion.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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