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adhesive

 - 6 dictionary results

ad⋅he⋅sive

[ad-hee-siv, -ziv]
–adjective
1. coated with glue, paste, mastic, or other sticky substance: adhesive bandages.
2. sticking fast; sticky; clinging.
3. Physics. of or pertaining to the molecular force that exists in the area of contact between unlike bodies and that acts to unite them.
–noun
4. a substance that causes something to adhere, as glue or rubber cement.
5. adhesive tape.
6. Philately. a postage stamp with a gummed back, as distinguished from one embossed or printed on an envelope or card.

Origin:
1660–70; adhes(ion) + -ive


ad⋅he⋅sive⋅ly, adverb
ad⋅he⋅sive⋅ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To adhesive
ad·he·sive   (ād-hē'sĭv, -zĭv)   
adj.  
  1. Tending to adhere; sticky.

  2. Gummed so as to adhere.

  3. Tending to persist; difficult if not impossible to shake off: "He feels an adhesive dread, a sudden acquaintance with the . . . darker side of mankind" (George F. Will).

n.  A substance, such as paste or cement, that provides or promotes adhesion.
ad·he'sive·ly adv., ad·he'sive·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1ad·he·sive
Pronunciation: -'hE-siv, -ziv
Function: adjective
1 a : relating to or having the ability to stickthings together adhesive glue> b : prepared for adhering (as by having a surface coated with a sticky substance) adhesive strapping>
2 : characterized by adhesions <adhesive inflammation> —ad·he·sive·ly adverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

adhesive ad·he·sive (ād-hē'sĭv, -zĭv)
adj.

  1. Tending to adhere; sticky.

  2. Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an adhesion.

n.
A substance that adheres to a surface or causes adherence between surfaces.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

adhesive

any substance that is capable of holding materials together in a functional manner by surface attachment that resists separation. "Adhesive" as a general term includes cement, mucilage, glue, and paste-terms that are often used interchangeably for any organic material that forms an adhesive bond. Inorganic substances such as portland cement also can be considered adhesives, in the sense that they hold objects such as bricks and beams together through surface attachment, but this article is limited to a discussion of organic adhesives, both natural and synthetic

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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