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Synonyms

coating

American  
[koh-ting] / ˈkoʊ tɪŋ /

noun

  1. a layer of any substance spread over a surface.

    Synonyms:
    veneer, sheet, film, covering, coat

  2. fabric for making coats.

coating British  
/ ˈkəʊtɪŋ /

noun

  1. a layer or film spread over a surface for protection or decoration

  2. a heavy fabric suitable for coats

  3. dialect a severe rebuke; ticking-off

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of coating

First recorded in 1760–70; coat + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Akzo Nobel and Axalta Coating Systems agreed to merge, forming a $17 billion-in-revenue paint company...

From Barron's • Nov. 22, 2025

AkzoNobel’s shares opened over 2.0% lower in Amsterdam after it agreed on an all-stock merger with Philadelphia-headquartered Axalta Coating Systems.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025

Coating bed nets in the drug cocktail is the long-term aim.

From BBC • May 21, 2025

Coating fossils with varnishes and/or lacquers was the norm in the past and sometimes is still necessary to preserve a fossil specimen in museum cabinets and exhibits.

From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2024

For $5, by Post Office Order or express, I will send the recipe for making Langhorne's English Gum Coating Paint and other mineral paints, with full instructions for roof and sidewall painting.

From Scientific American, Volume 40, No. 13, March 29, 1879 A Weekly Journal of Practical Information, Art, Science, Mechanics, Chemistry, and Manufactures by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.