mucilage

[ myoo-suh-lij ]

noun

1. any of various, usually liquid, preparations of gum, glue, or the like, used as an adhesive.
2. any of various gummy secretions or gelatinous substances present in plants.

mucilage

/ ˈmjuːsɪlɪdʒ; ˌmjuːsɪˈlædʒɪnəs /

noun

1. a sticky preparation, such as gum or glue, used as an adhesive
2. a complex glutinous carbohydrate secreted by certain plants

Derived Forms

• ˌmuciˈlaginousness, noun
• ˌmuciˈlaginously, adverb
• mucilaginous, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mucilage¹

1350–1400; Middle English muscilage < Middle French musillage < Late Latin mūcilāgō a musty juice, akin to mūcēre to be musty. See mucor

Word History and Origins

Origin of mucilage¹

C14: via Old French from Late Latin mūcilāgo mouldy juice; see mucid

Example Sentences

Key examples are mustard and garlic, which contain "mucilage" — a mix of carbohydrates — that can act as emulsifiers.

From Salon

Inside were the cocoa beans: nodules wrapped in a sweet, slimy white pulp known as mucilage.

From New York Times

Turkey’s president called the slime a “mucilage calamity,” and workers were dispatched to vacuum it up using hoses.

From Scientific American

In Canakkale, a popular tourist town on the Dardanelles where the Marmara feeds into the Aegean, vacationers peered into the harbor at the mucilage that had turned the sea into the consistency of clam chowder.

From New York Times

Okra’s inherently slimy texture, or mucilage, has long been valued as a thickener in soups and stews, especially gumbo.

From Washington Post