Mu"cous (?), a. [L. mucosus, fr. mucus mucus.] 1. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, mucus; slimy, ropy, or stringy, and lubricous; as, a mucous substance.

2. Secreting a slimy or mucigenous substance; as, the mucous membrane.

Mucous membrane. (Anat.)See under Membrane. -- Mucous patches(Med.), elevated patches found in the mucous membranes of the mouth and anus, usually due to syphilis. -- Mucous tissue(Anat.), a form of connective tissue in an early stage of development, found in the umbilical cord and in the embryo, and also in certain tumors called myxomata.