papier-mâché
[ pey-per-muh-shey, -ma-; French pa-pyey-mah-shey ]
/ ˌpeɪ pər məˈʃeɪ, -mæ-; French pa pyeɪ mɑˈʃeɪ /
noun
a substance made of pulped paper or paper pulp mixed with glue and other materials or of layers of paper glued and pressed together, molded when moist to form various articles, and becoming hard and strong when dry.
adjective
made of papier-mâché.
easily destroyed or discredited; false, pretentious, or illusory: a papier-mâché façade of friendship.
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Also pa·per-mâ·ché [pey-per-muh-shey, -ma-] /ˌpeɪ pər məˈʃeɪ, -mæ-/ .
Origin of papier-mâché
1745–55; <French: literally, “chewed paper”
Words nearby papier-mâché
Paphian Goddess, Paphlagonia, Paphos, Papiamento, papier collé, papier-mâché, papilionaceous, papilla, papilla mammae, papilla of corium, papillary
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for papier-mâché
British Dictionary definitions for papier-mâché
papier-mâché
/ (ˌpæpjeɪˈmæʃeɪ, French papjemɑʃe) /
noun
a hard strong substance suitable for painting on, made of paper pulp or layers of paper mixed with paste, size, etc, and moulded when moist
adjective
made of papier-mâché
Word Origin for papier-mâché
C18: from French, literally: chewed paper
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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