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coated with glue, paste, mastic, or other sticky substance:
adhesive bandages.
sticking fast; sticky; clinging.
physics. of or relating to the molecular force that exists in the area of contact between unlike bodies and that acts to unite them.
a substance that causes something to , as glue or rubber cement.
.
philately. a postage stamp with a gummed back, as distinguished from one embossed or printed on an envelope or card.
contemporary examples

have you ever seen 11 players with a relationship so adhesive to the ball?
who will win the world cup? tunku varadarajan july 9, 2010

then, the merkin is applied with an adhesive; ledermann uses a matte substance by telesis.
hollywood’s most private accessory claire howorth september 19, 2010

historical examples

the need for prepayment of postage by means of adhesive postage stamps.
the post office of india and its story geoffrey clarke

this was an adhesive, and used some years after stamps were in use.
the stamps of canada bertram poole

the hair was then attached directly to a piece of thin leather, by means of some adhesive substance, or composition.
popular technology, vol. i (of 2) edward hazen

adhesive is the scientific, sticking or sticky the popular word.
english synonyms and antonyms james champlin fernald

she stripped me to the waist, poked around my chest a bit and wrapped me in adhesive.
backlash winston marks

an adhesive plaster is in popular language a sticking-plaster.
english synonyms and antonyms james champlin fernald

english was propping the lid open and sticking it so with adhesive.
winner take all larry evans

do not let the most adhesive of food betray you into this most disagreeable of habits.
social life maud c. cooke

adjective
able or designed to adhere; sticky: adhesive tape
tenacious or clinging
noun
a substance used for sticking objects together, such as glue, cement, or paste
adj.

1660s, from french adhésif, formed in french from latin adhaes-, past participle stem of adhaere (see adherent).
n.

1881, from adhesive (adj.). originally of postage stamps (adhesive stamp is attested from 1840). of substances that cause to adhere by 1900.

adhesive ad·he·sive (ād-hē’sĭv, -zĭv)
adj.

tending to adhere; sticky.

of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an adhesion.

n.
a substance that adheres to a surface or causes adherence between surfaces.
adhesive
(ād-hē’sĭv)
noun a substance, such as paste or cement, that causes two surfaces to stick together. adhesives are made of gelatin or other substances, such as epoxy, resin, or polyethylene.

adjective relating to adhesion.