Gluiness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being sticky or adhesive to the touch; the characteristic of having a viscous, glue-like consistency; a property causing things to cling together or resist separation
2. A state of tactile stickiness often resembling glue; the presence of a viscous, syrupy texture; an attribute that makes surfaces adhere or bond firmly
3. The condition of possessing a sticky, tacky surface; indicative of a gluey, thick substance; a trait that results in materials sticking or holding together tightly

Etymology: "Gluiness" is a variant spelling of "glueyness," and the word is about as plain as English gets: the adjective "gluey," meaning resembling glue or sticky, with the suffix "-ness" added to turn it into a noun for the quality of being that way. "Gluey" itself comes from "glue," which reached English from Old French "glu," the sticky substance made from boiled animal parts, and the "-y" ending marks something having the qualities of its base. The "-ness" suffix is one of the oldest and most productive tools in English. It comes from Old English "-nes" and attaches to adjectives to name a state or quality, so "happy" becomes "happiness" and "dark" becomes "darkness." Forms like "gluiness" follow the same pattern, so a speaker can coin one whenever a sticky thing needs describing.

Synonyms: stickiness, adhesiveness, tackiness, viscosity, gumminess

Antonyms: slickness, smoothness, slipperiness, dryness, fluidity