superglue

1 of 2

noun

su·​per·​glue ˈsü-pər-ˌglü How to pronounce superglue (audio)
variants or super glue or less commonly super-glue
plural superglues or super glues also super-glues
: a very strong glue : crazy glue
specifically : a glue whose chief ingredient is a cyanoacrylate that becomes adhesive through polymerization rather than evaporation of a solvent

superglue

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly super-glue or super glue
superglued also super-glued or super glued; supergluing or superglueing also super-gluing or super-glueing or super gluing or super glueing; superglues also super-glues or super glues

transitive verb

: to cause to stick tightly with or as if with a very strong adhesive : crazy-glue
… Miles Roby came downstairs to prepare for the breakfast shift and found a man slumped over the counter, his forehead flat on the Formica, as if it had been superglued there.Richard Russo
Polls show increasing support for clean energy, but most Republicans are superglued to the other side.Michael Grunwald

Examples of superglue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Zenzal attaches the transmitters to hummingbirds’ backs using a tiny drop of superglue and a larger dab of eyelash glue, which is nontoxic and will eventually come off without hurting the birds. Nala Rogers, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2019 Hopefully your first-aid kit has tweezers, because some of the alternatives—like superglue on a cotton swab—have the potential to go seriously wrong. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 15 Dec. 2022
Verb
In 2022, Succession actor James Cromwell — in partnership with PETA — superglued himself to a Starbucks counter in New York City in protest of the upcharge. Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 2 Nov. 2024 Naturally, this storyline was all playing out in an episode that also featured a wannabe Bachelor contestant supergluing herself to the Bachelor Mansion driveway in front of Joey Graziadei. Tom Smyth, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for superglue 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

derivative of superglue entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1937, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of superglue was in 1937

Dictionary Entries Near superglue

Cite this Entry

“Superglue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superglue. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

superglue

noun
su·​per·​glue ˈsü-pər-ˌglü How to pronounce superglue (audio)
: a very strong glue
superglue verb

Medical Definition

superglue

noun
su·​per·​glue ˈsü-pər-ˌglü How to pronounce superglue (audio)
: a very strong glue
specifically : a glue whose chief ingredient is cyanoacrylate that becomes adhesive through polymerization rather than evaporation of a solvent

More from Merriam-Webster on superglue

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!