MUCUS
What does "MUCUS" mean?
A slippery secretion produced by the mucous membranes that lines and protects body passages.
Meanings
- The viscous fluid secreted by mucous membranes, which lubricates and traps particles and pathogens. A cold makes the nose produce far more mucus than usual.
Did you know?
- Your body makes more than a liter of mucus a day and you swallow nearly all of it without noticing - it's a continuous flypaper that catches dust and germs before they reach your lungs.
Word origin
From Latin 'mucus', 'slime, mold, snot', related to 'mucere', 'to be moldy or musty'; the adjective 'mucous' shares the same root but is spelled differently.
Remember it
MUCUS vs MUCOUS: the noun (the stuff) is MUCUS with a U; the adjective (the membrane) is MUCOUS with O-U - 'us' is the slime, 'ous' describes it.
A little poem
Unloved, ceaseless work-
a wet net no one praises
guards each breath you take.
haiku
Wordplay
- Mucus gets no respect, which is rich - it's the only employee that works a full liter a day and never once calls in sick.
What it teaches
The defenses that disgust us are often the ones working hardest; we only notice the guard when it fails.
Quick facts
What does MUCUS mean?
A slippery secretion produced by the mucous membranes that lines and protects body passages.
Is MUCUS a valid word?
Yes — MUCUS is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is MUCUS?
MUCUS has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does MUCUS come from?
From Latin 'mucus', 'slime, mold, snot', related to 'mucere', 'to be moldy or musty'; the adjective 'mucous' shares the same root but is spelled differently.
What can MUCUS teach us?
The defenses that disgust us are often the ones working hardest; we only notice the guard when it fails.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.