A sticky note, such as a post-it note.
"The sticky was known in the village for his quiet loyalty to the IRA cause."
A member of the Official Irish Republican Army.
In plain English: A sticky is an old-fashioned term for someone who acts clingy and won't let go of another person.
"The sticky was so strong that he couldn't get his hands free from the jar."
to fix a thread at the top of the list of topics or threads so as to keep it in view.
"The moderator decided to sticky the announcement about the server maintenance so that no new posts would push it out of sight."
In plain English: To stick something is to make it adhere firmly so that it won't come off easily.
"The honey got sticky on his fingers when he touched them together."
moist as with undried perspiration and with clothing sticking to the body
"felt sticky and chilly at the same time"
hard to deal with; especially causing pain or embarrassment
"awkward (or embarrassing or difficult) moments in the discussion"
"an awkward pause followed his remark"
"a sticky question"
"in the unenviable position of resorting to an act he had planned to save for the climax of the campaign"
covered with an adhesive material
"The honey spilled on the table left the surface sticky to the touch."
Able or likely to adhere via the drying of a viscous substance.
"The glue became sticky after it dried in the heat and started sticking to my fingers."
In plain English: Sticky means having a surface that feels wet and grabs onto things so you can't easily wipe it off.
"The honey got stuck to my fingers and was hard to wipe off."
Usage: Use "sticky" to describe surfaces that cause things to stick due to adhesives like glue or honey, rather than for digital threads which are specifically "pinned." When referring to notes, the term often functions as an adjective modifying "note," though it can also serve as a noun meaning a small adhesive note itself.
The word sticky comes from combining the noun stick with the suffix -y. It originally described something that adheres to a surface like a physical stick might, and this literal sense of clinging has remained its primary meaning in English ever since.