Viscosifiers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Materials that are added to liquids to make them thicker and more resistant to flow
2. Compounds used to enhance the thickness of fluids by increasing internal friction
3. Agents that raise a fluid's viscosity, causing it to flow more slowly and with greater density

Etymology: "Viscosifiers" is the plural of "viscosifier", a technical term formed from "viscosify" plus the agent suffix "-er", meaning something that makes a substance viscous. "Viscosify" itself is built from "viscous", which comes from Latin "viscosus" ("sticky, glutinous"), and that Latin word derives from "viscum", the sticky substance made from mistletoe berries used to trap birds. The suffix "-ify" turns the adjective into a verb meaning "to make viscous," and "-er" then names the thing that does the making. The word belongs to the vocabulary of modern industry rather than classical literature, so it is a recent coinage built from older parts. Its most common use is in drilling and petroleum engineering, where additives such as bentonite clay or polymers are mixed into drilling fluids to thicken them so they can carry rock cuttings to the surface.