Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The viscous, slippery substance that consists chiefly of mucin, water, cells, and inorganic salts and is secreted as a protective lubricant coating by cells and glands of the mucous membranes.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A viscid fluid secreted by the mucous membrane of animals. It is characterized by the presence of considerable quantities of mucin. Also called animal mucilage.
- n. In botany, gummy matter soluble in water.
- n. The slime of fish
Wiktionary
- n. A slippery secretion from the lining of the mucous membranes.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A viscid fluid secreted by mucous membranes, which it serves to moisten and protect. It covers the lining membranes of all the cavities which open externally, such as those of the mouth, nose, lungs, intestinal canal, urinary passages, etc.
- n. Any other animal fluid of a viscid quality, as the synovial fluid, which lubricates the cavities of the joints; -- improperly so used.
- n. A gelatinous or slimy substance found in certain algæ and other plants.
WordNet 3.0
- n. protective secretion of the mucus membranes; in the gut it lubricates the passage of food and protects the epithelial cells; in the nose and throat and lungs it can make it difficult for bacteria to penetrate the body through the epithelium
Etymologies
- Latin mūcus.
Examples
“This occurs when muscles surrounding the airways tighten and squeeze them and excessive mucus is produced.”
“The mucus is interesting stuff too; it is a glycoprotein which is mostly glyco and not very proteinaceous, and which is secreted at about 99% water.”
“Such a cytokine storm as part of the adaptive response is characteristic of avian (bird) flu, where patients “drown in mucus” due to the overwhelming nature of the response and often require ventilator support to avoid death.”
“How did we function before the good drugs, was the world simply covered in mucus? did we all walk around honking like geese? or did we just curl up and die to be covered in layers of book dust? at”
“A scientist who specializes in synthetic mucus is convinced one of the dog show fanatics broke into his lab to steal some.”
“Unfortunately mucus is not of the number, so the common Moslem is very offensive in the matter of nose.”
“The pseudoscience of "toxins" and the need for detoxification goes without saying, and how mucus is supposed to get to your feet doesn't bear thinking about.”
“In this case exclusively water, not mucus, is required, and water is actually secreted.”
“There are basically two types of colitis namely mucus and ulcerative colitis.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘mucus’.
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