Adhesive

How to spell adhesive

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce adhesive

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does adhesive mean?

1. adjectiveAble to stick firmly to a surface; sticky.
2. nounA substance such as glue or paste used to bond surfaces together.

Adhesive in a sentence

• adjective

  The label has an adhesive backing that grips most surfaces.

• noun

  He applied a thin layer of adhesive to both edges before pressing them.

• adjective

  She covered the box seam with strong adhesive tape.

• noun

  The repair kit included a fast-drying adhesive for ceramics.

Where does adhesive come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb haerere, which meant 'to stick', 'to cling', or 'to hold fast'. Adding the prefix ad-, meaning 'to' or 'toward', produced the idea of one thing clinging firmly to another, and the past participle stem adhaes- gave rise to the related verb 'adhere'. The form 'adhesive' was assembled with the suffix -ive, which turns a root into an adjective describing a tendency or quality, so it literally names something with the quality of sticking. English took it up in the eighteenth century, first as an adjective and soon as a noun for any sticky substance such as glue or paste. The same haerere root sits behind everyday relatives like 'adhere', 'cohesion', and 'inherent', and remembering that shared 'hes' spelling helps explain why adhesive is written with an 's' rather than the 'z' sound it carries when spoken.

How the word is built

• ad- (to)
• haes- (from Latin haerere: to stick or cling)
• -ive (adjective/noun suffix)