adhesion

noun

ad·​he·​sion ad-ˈhē-zhən 

əd-

1

: steady or firm attachment : adherence

2

: the action or state of adhering

3

: the abnormal union of separate tissue surfaces by new fibrous tissue resulting from an inflammatory process

also : the newly formed uniting tissue

4

: agreement to join

adhesion of all nations to a copyright convention

5

: the molecular attraction exerted between the surfaces of bodies in contact

adhesional

ad-ˈhēzh-nəl 

-ˈhē-zhə-nᵊl

əd-

adjective

Synonyms

• adherence
• bonding
• cling

Examples of adhesion in a Sentence

the adhesion of the coating

the adhesion of the mud to my shoes

Recent Examples on the Web

Chefs and foodies already pay a premium for the large, hollow pyramids of Maldon sea salt, a shape preferred for its crunch, its intermittent bursts of saltiness, and its superior adhesion to baked goods. —Nicola Twilley, WIRED, 11 Feb. 2020

This knitting and printing technology eliminates the cut-and-sew as well as adhesion processes typical of shoemaking. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019

Our polish formula includes a proprietary blend of adhesion promoters, basically the things that make your polish last the longest, that react to specific wavelengths of light, and then our lamp, in conjunction, emits those two wavelengths to cure the polish thoroughly and quickly. —Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Running an electrical current through the glue will cause adhesion to lessen, allowing the battery to be removed without the previous use of heat guns, prybars, and brute force. —Ewan Spence, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French or Latin; French adhésion, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin adhaesiōn-, adhaesiō, from adhaes-, variant stem of adhaerēre "to adhere" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns (expected *adhaestiō presumably simplified to adhaesiō by analogy)

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

adhesion

noun

ad·​he·​sion ad-ˈhē-zhən 

əd-

1

: steady or firm attachment

especially : a sticking together

2

: abnormal union of tissues following inflammation (as after surgery)

3

: the molecular attraction between surfaces of bodies in contact

Medical Definition

adhesion

noun

ad·​he·​sion ad-ˈhē-zhən, əd- 

1

: the action or state of adhering

specifically : a sticking together of substances (as of glue and wood or of parts united by growth)

2

a

: the abnormal union of surfaces normally separate by the formation of new fibrous tissue resulting from an inflammatory process

also : the newly formed uniting tissue

pleural adhesions

b

: the union of wound edges especially by first intention

3

: the molecular attraction exerted between the surfaces of bodies in contact compare cohesion sense 2

adhesional

-ˈhēzh-nəl, -ˈhē-zhən-ᵊl 

adjective