glutinum

Glutinum is a Latin term meaning glue or adhesive. In classical and medieval Latin, glutinum referred to a sticky substance produced by boiling animal connective tissues, especially hides, bones, and skins rich in collagen. The production process involves extracting soluble collagen and allowing the liquid to gel as it cools, yielding an adhesive material known in practice as animal glue, hide glue, or bone glue.

Historically, glutinum was a widely used binding agent in diverse crafts. It found application in woodworking, bookbinding, paper conservation, leatherworking, and taxidermy. It was valued for its strength, reversibility with heat, and the ability to form relatively smooth, frame-friendly joints. Different sources produced variations such as hide glue from skins and bones glue from bones, with fish glue also used in some regions.

With the rise of synthetic polymers and epoxy resins in the 20th century, glutinum-based adhesives declined in industrial contexts, though they remain in use among traditional crafts, musical instrument making, and conservation work where reversible bonding is advantageous. Modern refinements improved shelf life and handling, but the basic principle—adhesion via gelatinized collagen—remains the core of many traditional glues.

Linguistic note: the root glutin- influenced several English terms describing sticky qualities, such as glutinous and gluten. The latter term, used for certain cereal proteins, etymologically reflects the historic association with glue-like stickiness and the Latin glutinum.