viscous

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English

WOTD – 5 March 2008

Etymology

First attested in 1605. Borrowed from Middle French visqueux and Late Latin viscōsus, from Latin viscum (“birdlime”). Doublet of viscose.

Pronunciation

Adjective

viscous (comparative more viscous, superlative most viscous)

  1. Having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid.
    Synonyms: syrupy, viscid, viscose, thickflowing
    Antonym: inviscid
    • 2014 December 23, Olivia Judson, “The hemiparasite season ”, 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.
  2. (physics) Of or pertaining to viscosity.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin viscōsus, from Latin viscum.

Adjective

viscous m (oblique and nominative feminine singular viscouse)

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

Descendants

  • Middle French: visqueux
    • French: visqueux
    • → English: viscous

References

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia