Viscoidal

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having a thick, sticky consistency similar to a viscous fluid but with properties intermediate between solid and liquid states
2. Characterized by a sticky or thick texture that exhibits qualities of both liquids and solids, often resembling a viscous state
3. Describing a substance that has a gooey or adhesive property, integrating features of both solids and viscous liquids

Etymology: "Viscoidal" is built from two parts. The first is "viscous," from Latin "viscosus," meaning sticky or glutinous, which in turn comes from "viscum," the Latin word for birdlime, the sticky substance smeared on twigs to catch birds. The second part is the suffix "-oidal," from Greek "-oeidēs," meaning "having the form or likeness of," so the whole word literally means "resembling something viscous." The adjective is a modern scientific formation, not an ancient one. Its suffix shows it was coined in the style of nineteenth- and twentieth-century technical English, where "-oidal" was attached to familiar roots to describe shapes and substances that were close to, but not quite, the named thing. Its dictionary entries are sparse, and it is rarely used outside specialist or descriptive writing.