What does adhesive mean?
An adhesive is any substance capable of bonding materials together by surface attachment — familiar examples include glue, paste, and cement. As an adjective, 'adhesive' describes something with the property of sticking: an adhesive tape clings to skin, an adhesive label clings to a parcel. The word derives from the Latin verb haerere, meaning 'to stick or cling', via the past-participial stem adhaes-, and entered English in the seventeenth century alongside related terms such as 'adhesion' and 'cohesive'. In modern usage, adhesives range from household glues to industrial epoxies and pressure-sensitive tapes, making the term essential in manufacturing, medicine, and craft. Its connotations are practical and neutral rather than emotional, and it appears frequently in compound forms like 'self-adhesive'. Because it names both a material and a property, 'adhesive' is a versatile word bridging everyday language and technical description.
A substance, such as glue, paste, or cement, used to bond objects or materials together.
"Use a strong adhesive to attach the mirror to the wall."
Often modified by an adjective indicating strength or type (e.g. 'epoxy adhesive', 'waterproof adhesive').
Able to stick fast to a surface; having the quality of adhering.
"Cover the wound with an adhesive dressing."
The plural refers to multiple types or instances of bonding substances; it is standard in both British and American English.
"The hardware store stocks a wide range of adhesives for wood, metal, and plastic."
The word 'adhesive' comes from the Latin haerere — 'to stick' — the same root that gives us 'hesitate', which literally means to get stuck in one place.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adhesive
Adhesive comes from the Latin verb haerere, 'to stick or cling', combined with the prefix ad- ('to, toward'), forming adhaerere, 'to stick to'. English adopted it in the early seventeenth century from the past-participial stem adhaes-. It shares this root with 'adhere', 'cohesion', and 'inherent', and more distantly with 'hesitate', which originally suggested being stuck or unable to proceed.
Related word forms
How adhesive is actually used
Both noun and adjective uses are neutral in register and common in technical, medical, and everyday contexts. The adjective often appears attributively before a noun (e.g. 'adhesive tape').
Easily confused with adhesive
Cohesive describes particles or ideas that stick to each other within a whole, while adhesive refers to sticking to a different surface or substance.