rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryviscidThick and sticky
adjective

viscid

VIS-id/ˈvɪsɪd/

Thick, sticky, and slow-flowing.

The viscid syrup clings to the spoon and pours slowly.

Thick adhesive syrup slowly stretches in a cohesive sticky strand from a wooden spoon toward a plain ceramic bowl, visibly resisting flow, neutral background.
Etymology
viscLatinmistletoe; birdlime
+idLatinhaving the quality of

Viscum named mistletoe and the sticky birdlime made from it. That adhesive substance supplies the concrete image behind viscid: a liquid that is sticky and slow to flow.

More examples

  • As the sauce cools, it becomes increasingly viscid.
  • Viscid sap slowly oozes from the cut branch.
  • The pump struggles to move the viscid liquid through the pipe.

Forms

viscid

Similar words

viscous
Emphasizes resistance to flowing, without necessarily implying stickiness.
sticky
Emphasizes clinging to surfaces rather than thickness or slow flow.
gooey
An informal alternative emphasizing a soft, thick, sticky consistency.