adhesive - a substance that unites or bonds surfaces togethermaterial, stuff - the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object; "coal is a hard black material"; "wheat is the stuff they use to make bread" birdlime, lime - a sticky adhesive that is smeared on small branches to capture small birds spirit gum - an adhesive solution made of gum and ether and used to attach false hair to skin binder - something used to bind separate particles together or facilitate adhesion to a surface cement - something that hardens to act as adhesive material library paste, paste - an adhesive made from water and flour or starch; used on paper and paperboard rubber cement - an adhesive made by dissolving unvulcanized rubber in a solvent like benzene or naphtha |