gooey

Gooey is an adjective used to describe a substance that is sticky, viscous, and often soft or elastic, so that it adheres to surfaces and can be stretched or deformed. The term is commonly used for foods that melt or ooze when heated, such as melted cheese, chocolate in a warm dessert, or caramel. It can also describe non-food materials with a similarly sticky or clingy texture, like syrup, glue, or slime.

Etymology and usage: Gooey derives from goo, a colloquial noun for a sticky mass, with the suffix -ey to form an adjective. It appears in English from the 19th century and is widely used in informal speech, especially to convey a sensory impression of texture rather than precise measurements. The adjective can also express sentimentality, as in a gooey, sentimental scene, though this figurative sense is informal.

In cooking and food science, gooey textures are often achieved by high moisture and fat content, heating, or the coagulation of proteins that trap liquids. In materials science and consumer products, gooey describes polymers, gels, syrups, and adhesives with viscoelastic properties that make them sticky and deformable.

See also: viscous, sticky, syrupy, chewy, gel, slime.