viscous
/ˈvɪskəs
/adjective
Having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid; having a high viscosity: viscous lava...
- Our cars run on fuel, which, to some, is a thick viscous liquid that needs to be filled in the petrol tank periodically.
- In some cases, they have been burnt by leaking mustard gas, which, despite its name, is a thick, viscous liquid.
- If the lava is very viscous, and there is a great deal of gas present, pumice is formed.
Synonyms
sticky, gummy, glue-like, gluey, adhesive, tacky, adhering, adherent, sticking, clinging, treacly, syrupy;
glutinous, gelatinous, thick, viscid, pasty, mucous, mucoid, mucilaginous, jelly-like, slimy
informal gooey, gunky, gloopy, cloggy, icky
North American informal gloppy
rare viscoid
Derivatives
viscously
- He suddenly convulsed as his stomach heaved a foul liquid up his throat, which gushed violently from his mouth and viscously trickled down the curtain of his hair.
viscousness
- Their disadvantages are toxicity, viscousness at low temperatures requiring more pump power, and a finite life.
- It may be simple to say that viscosity is a unit which indicates the degree of ‘stickiness’ or viscousness of a substance.
- But all varieties deteriorated in viscousness, hardness, and palatability, in addition, there were significant difference among varieties after six months of room temperature storage.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French viscous or late Latin viscosus, from Latin viscum 'birdlime'.
Viscous comes via Anglo-Norman French from Latin viscum ‘birdlime’, the sticky substance used to trap birds.
Rhymes
- take the cake
- take the chair
- take the chequered flag
- take the chill off
- take the count
- take the easy way out
- take the edge off
- take the fall
- take the field
- take the floor
- take the gilt off the gingerbread
- take the King's (or Queen's) shilling
- take the King's shilling
- take the law into one's own hands
- take the liberty
- take the long view
- take the mound
- take the (or one's etc.) secret to the grave
- take the part of
- take the piss (out of someone/thing)
- take the place of
- take the plunge
- take the rap
- take the rough with the smooth
- take the salute