mucous
adj.adj. relating to mucus, which is the thick, slippery liquid your body makes to protect and lubricate parts like your nose and throat.
adj. relating to or consisting of mucus, a viscous, slippery secretion produced by mucous membranes. Typically used attributively to describe glands, membranes, or secretions.
The doctor checked the patient's mucous membranes for signs of infection.
The body produces mucous to trap dust and bacteria before they can enter the lungs.
In many amphibians, the skin acts as a mucous membrane, allowing for the exchange of gases and the absorption of moisture from the surrounding environment.
Naturalized from Late Latin mūcōsus, from Latin mūcus. By surface analysis, muc(us) + -ous = muco- + -ous.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 28, 2026