A monomer composition comprising at least one polymerizable alkyl ester .alpha.-cyanoacrylate monomer. Specifically, the .alpha.-cyanoacrylate monomer is an alkyl ester .alpha.-cyanoacrylate monomer of the general formula having a spacer R1: ##STR00001## n is from 2 to 12; R3 and R4 are each an alkyl group or a hydrogen, and at least one of R3 or R4 is an alkyl group (e.g. linear or branched, or cyclic) having from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 carbon atoms; R2 is an alkyl group (e.g. linear or branched, or cyclic) having from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 carbon atoms; and the combined number of carbon atoms (N) in the spacer R1 is at least n+1.