able or designed to adhere; sticky: adhesive tape tenacious or clinging
a substance used for sticking objects together, such as glue, cement, or paste
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ad•he•sive /ædˈhisɪv, -zɪv/USA pronunciation
adj.
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- coated with a sticky substance:adhesive bandages.
- tending to stick fast;
clinging.
n. [uncountable]
- a substance that causes something to adhere, as glue.
- adhesive tape.
ad•he•sive
(ad hē′siv, -ziv),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
ad•he′sive•ly, adv.
ad•he′sive•ness, n.
- coated with glue, paste, mastic, or other sticky substance:adhesive bandages.
- sticking fast;
sticky;
clinging. - Physicsof or pertaining to the molecular force that exists in the area of contact between unlike bodies and that acts to unite them.
n.
- a substance that causes something to adhere, as glue or rubber cement.
- See adhesive tape.
- Stamps[Philately.]a postage stamp with a gummed back, as distinguished from one embossed or printed on an envelope or card.
- adhes(ion) + -ive 1660–70
ad•he′sive•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'adhesive' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Band-Aid
- Canada balsam
- Elastoplast
- Fablon
- Penny Black
- Post-it
- Sellotape
- Virginia creeper
- adherend
- adhesive bandage
- adhesive binding
- adhesive factor
- adhesive plaster
- adhesive tape
- autogenous
- bat printing
- bond
- bonded
- bumper sticker
- butterfly closure
- capillarity
- cement
- climb
- clingy
- contact cement
- contact paper
- court plaster
- cyanoacrylate
- daub
- diachylon
- double-faced
- dry mounting
- duct tape
- excipient
- factor of adhesion
- flock dot
- friction tape
- gecko
- glair
- glue
- glutenin
- gum
- gum arabic
- hardboard
- isinglass
- limpet
- masking tape
- mastic
- moleskin
- mordant