viscous

English

Etymology

First attested in 1605. Borrowed from Middle FrenchCategory:English terms borrowed from Middle French#VISCOUSCategory:English terms derived from Middle French#VISCOUS visqueux and Late LatinCategory:English terms derived from Late Latin#VISCOUS viscōsus, from LatinCategory:English terms derived from Latin#VISCOUS viscum (“birdlime”). Doublet of viscoseCategory:English doublets#VISCOUS.

Pronunciation

Adjective

viscous (comparative more viscous, superlative most viscous)Category:English lemmas#VISCOUSCategory:English adjectives#VISCOUSCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#VISCOUSCategory:Pages with entries#VISCOUSCategory:Pages with 2 entries#VISCOUS

  2. Having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid (that is, a high viscosity).
    Synonyms: syrupy, viscid, viscose, thickflowing
    Antonym: inviscid
    • 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 December 2014:
      […] 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.
      Category:English terms with quotations#VISCOUS
  4. (physicsCategory:en:Physics#VISCOUS) Of or pertaining to viscosity.
    viscous coefficientCategory:English terms with collocations#VISCOUS

Derived terms

Translations

Category:en:Liquids#VISCOUS

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late LatinCategory:Old French terms borrowed from Late Latin#VISCOUSCategory:Old French terms derived from Late Latin#VISCOUS viscōsus, from LatinCategory:Old French terms derived from Latin#VISCOUS viscum.

Adjective

viscous m (oblique and nominative feminine singular viscouse)Category:Old French lemmas#VISCOUSCategory:Old French adjectives#VISCOUSCategory:Old French entries with incorrect language header#VISCOUSCategory:Pages with entries#VISCOUSCategory:Pages with 2 entries#VISCOUS

  1. viscous (of a liquid, thick; tending to flow slowly)

Descendants

References

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