pasteslike

Pasteslike is a descriptive term used to refer to substances that resemble a paste in texture and behavior. Such materials are typically viscous, soft, and cohesive, and can be spread, molded, or held with light to moderate pressure. They usually lie between liquids and solids in the rheological spectrum and often show non-Newtonian flow.

Common characteristics include high solids content, viscoelastic response, and the ability to deform under yield stress. Many paste-like materials display shear-thinning behavior, meaning they become less viscous under higher shear rates. Temperature, moisture, and composition influence spreadability, tack, and stability.

Etymology and usage: The word is formed from paste plus the suffix -like and is largely informal. It appears in product specifications, design notes, and academic discussions to describe texture rather than to name a distinct material class. As a result, definitions can vary between disciplines and contexts.

Applications: In construction and materials science, cement paste, clay slips, and adhesives are described as paste-like; in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, ointments and dental pastes are described similarly; in cooking, thick sauces, fillings, and batters may be described as paste-like when stable and spreadable. The term is typically used as a convenient descriptor rather than a precise rheological category.

See also: paste; rheology; non-Newtonian fluid; spreadability.