viscous
adj/ˈvɪs.kəs/
Etymology First attested in 1605. Borrowed from Middle French visqueux and Late Latin viscōsus, from Latin viscum (“birdlime”). Doublet of viscose.
1
Having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid (that is, a high viscosity).
- […] The flesh [of the mistletoe berry] is sticky, and forms strings and ribbons between my thumb and forefinger. For the mistletoe, this viscous goop – and by the way, viscous comes to English from viscum – is crucial. The stickiness means that, after eating the berries, birds often regurgitate the seeds and then wipe their bills on twigs – leading to the seeds' getting glued to the tree, where they can germinate and begin the cycle anew.2014 December 23, Olivia Judson, “The hemiparasite season [print version: Under the hemiparasite, International New York Times, 24–25 December 2014, page 7]”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 23 Dec 2014:
2
Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics Of or pertaining to viscosity.
- viscous coefficient
- Synonyms
- lentous, glutinous, gooey, slabby, stiff, syrupy, thick, thickflowing, treacly, viscid, viscose, viscous
- Derived terms
- elastoviscous, electroviscous, gyroviscous, isoviscous, nonviscous, semiviscous, ultraviscous, viscous damper, viscousless, viscously, viscousness
- Related terms
- viscid, viscidity, viscoid, viscoidal, viscometer, viscose, viscosimeter, viscosity, viscousness, unctuous, gelatinous
- Hypernyms
- adhesive, fluidic, semifluid, semiliquid