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Definition of mucous

mucous

/ˈmjuːkəs/
mu · cous
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mucous Lexical Profile

mucous Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Relating to, producing, or covered with mucus.

Example

"Dry winter air can easily irritate the delicate mucous membranes lining the nasal passages."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for mucous

Word Nuance & Usage

Do not confuse the adjective 'mucous' (used in phrases like 'mucous membrane') with its homophone 'mucus', which is the noun naming the slimy secretion itself.

• Rhymes for mucous

• Nearby Words

muckraker
muckraking
mucky
mucous
mucuna
mucuri
mucus

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the late 17th century from Latin mucosus ('slimy'), derived from mucus ('slime, nasal secretion').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mucous. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mucous
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