Medical Definition of adhesive. 1: an adhesive substance; especially : a substance (as glue, starch, paste, or mucilage) that bonds two materials together by adhering to the surface of each.
The sensors physically measure the tire pressure in each tire and report it to the vehicle's instrument cluster or a corresponding monitor. Some units also measure and alert temperatures of the tire as well. These systems can identify under-inflation in any combination, be it one tire or all, simultaneously.
Also, if anyone nearby is adjusting tire pressures on a car with TPMS sensors, the system may be confused. If your vehicle's TPMS includes the spare, burrow into the trunk and get access to the spare first. Don't forget to top off the tires to the correct pressure.