To increase the basic knowledge of cottonseed meal (CSM)-based adhesives and optimize the operational parameters for practical applications, in this study, we investigated the effects of pH and storage time on the adhesive performance, water resistance, and rheological properties of CSM, water-washed cottonseed meal (WCSM), and cottonseed protein isolate (CSPI). We found all products possessed the highest dry, wet, and soaked adhesive strengths with the adhesive slurries prepared at pH 6.0. The effects of pH were smaller on WCSM than on CSM and CSPI slurries. Storage time (up to 8 days) did not greatly impact the adhesive performance of WCSM slurries prepared at pH 6.0, 7.5, and 9.0, but slightly reduced the adhesive strength of CSPI slurries with the same pH. The viscosity of WCSM slurries increased with storage over 8 days, but did not for CSPI slurries. V C 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43637.