mucilage

The story

1. Late Latin · derived frommūcilāgō“musty or moldy juice”
2. Middle French · derived frommucilage“viscous substance found in vegetable material”
3. Middle English · inherited frommuscilage
4. English todaymucilage

From Middle English muscilage, mussillage, from Middle French mucilage (“viscous substance found in vegetable material”), from Late Latin mūcilāgō (“musty or moldy juice”). See Greek μούχλα (moúchla, “mold”), and related derivatives, for example mushroom, from *meus- (“mosses, mold, mildew”).