Word of the Day - 10/22/25
viscous
/'vɪskəs/(adj.): having a relatively high resistance to flow
The highly viscous oil flowed very slowly from the bottle.
(adj.): having the sticky properties of an adhesive
The surgeon used a viscous adhesive to seal the wound.
Word Origin
The word 'viscous' originates from Late Latin 'viscosus', meaning 'sticky' or 'viscous'. This in turn comes from the Latin noun 'viscum', which referred to 'mistletoe' or 'birdlime' (a sticky substance made from mistletoe berries used to catch birds). The word can be broken down into 'visc-' (from 'viscum') and the adjectival suffix '-ous'.
Words with similar origins include 'viscosity' (the noun form describing the property of being viscous) and 'viscid' (another adjective meaning sticky, also derived from Latin 'viscum').