plaster of Paris

American  

Or plaster of paris

noun

1. calcined gypsum in white, powdery form, used as a base for gypsum plasters, as an additive of lime plasters, and as a material for making fine and ornamental casts: characterized by its ability to set rapidly when mixed with water.

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plaster of Paris British  

noun

1. a white powder that sets to a hard solid when mixed with water, used for making sculptures and casts, as an additive for lime plasters, and for making casts for setting broken limbs. It is usually the hemihydrate of calcium sulphate, 2CaSO 4 .H 2 O

2. the hard plaster produced when this powder is mixed with water: a fully hydrated form of calcium sulphate

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plaster of Paris Scientific  

/ plăs′tər /

1. A form of calcium phosphate derived from gypsum. It is mixed with water to make casts and molds.

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Etymology

Origin of plaster of Paris

1375–1425; late Middle English; so called because prepared from the gypsum of Paris, France

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

plaster of Paris

The Maryville coach chose “spoofhounds” after the ugly, plaster of Paris dog from a recent carnival.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

The 292 replica bones and ribs which make up the skeleton, made from plaster of Paris, are being packed into 28 crates by staff at the Natural History Museum.

From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2023

"Looks like plaster of Paris or sort of a grayish beach sand."

From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2022

She slathered the walls, the doors and the sooty fireplace with plaster of Paris, then reassembled the dozens of resultant panels — facing out, not in — into a hulking box.

From New York Times ● Oct. 4, 2018

MoMo removed his custom Elvis-with-sideburns hairpiece and placed it carefully on the plaster of Paris wig form made to look just like MoMo, complete with long, fat mustache and oversize sunglasses.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

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Related Words

• adhesive
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