adhesive

adhesive — noun

1. a sticky liquid or paste, such as glue, that you put between two objects to fix

1.nounB2
Definition

a sticky liquid or paste, such as glue, that you put between two objects to fix them firmly to each other.

Example

Hiro spread a thin layer of adhesive on the back of the wallpaper.

spread + adhesive + on collocation

The model airplane kit came with a small tube of adhesive for fixing the wings to the body.

tube of adhesive (typical container)

Common collocations
  • strong adhesive
  • weak adhesive
  • apply adhesive
  • tube of adhesive
  • industrial adhesive
Synonyms
  • glue

    everyday word; adhesive is more formal or technical

  • paste

    thicker, often used for paper or wallpaper

  • cement

    very strong adhesive, often for tiles, rubber, or metal

Grammar Patterns

a strong/weak adhesive

apply adhesive to

Usage Note

Often uncountable when talking about the substance in general, but countable when referring to types or products (a powerful adhesive, several adhesives on the market).

Common Mistakes

I bought a adhesive for my project.
I bought some adhesive for my project.
uncountable when meaning the substance; use 'some' or 'a tube of'.

adhesive — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words name sticky substances used to join things, but they differ in register and use. 'Glue' is the everyday word a child or shop assistant would choose, and it covers most household products. 'Adhesive' is more formal or technical; it appears on product labels, in instructions, and in industrial contexts where strength matters. 'Paste' tends to be thicker and water-based, used mainly for paper, wallpaper, or food (toothpaste, fish paste). 'Cement', when not meaning building cement, names very strong specialist adhesives such as rubber cement or tile cement. So a child says 'pass me the glue', a builder asks for 'tile adhesive' or 'tile cement', and a decorator mixes wallpaper paste in a bucket.

adhesive ↗glue ↗paste ↗cement ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • adhesive tape
  • adhesive bandage
  • adhesive label
  • adhesive backing
  • tube of adhesive

Phrases

  • apply adhesive
  • industrial adhesive
  • strong adhesive

Prepositions

  • adhesive between
  • adhesive on
  • adhesive for

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from the Latin verb 'adhaerere', meaning 'to stick to', built from 'ad-' (to) and 'haerere' (to cling). It moved into English through French in the 1600s, first as an adjective describing things that cling, and later as a noun for the sticky substance itself once industrial glues became widely sold in the 1800s.