Adhesive
/ədˈhiː.sɪv/noun
Able to stick firmly to a surface; a substance used for sticking things together.
Did you know?Adhesive comes from Latin adhaesivus, from adhaerere, meaning “to stick to,” a verb built from ad- (“to”) + haerere (“to cling, stick”), the same root behind words for being stuck, attached, and even emotionally “stuck” to something.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵhes-
“to stick, cling”
Latin
Latin
haerēre
“to stick, cling, be fixed”
Latin
Latin
adhaerēre
“to stick to, cleave to”
Late Latin
Latin
adhaesīvus
“tending to stick to”
Late Middle English
English
adhesif
“sticky; able to adhere”
Modern English
English
adhesive
“able to stick firmly; a sticky substance”