plaster

American  

[plas-ter, plah-ster] / ˈplæs tər, ˈplɑ stər /

Archaic, plaister

noun

1. a composition, as of lime or gypsum, sand, water, and sometimes hair or other fiber, applied in a pasty form to walls, ceilings, etc., and allowed to harden and dry.

2. powdered gypsum.

3. plaster of Paris.

4. a solid or semisolid preparation spread upon cloth, plastic, or other material and applied to the body, especially for some healing purpose.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cover (walls, ceilings, etc.) with plaster.

2. to treat with gypsum or plaster of Paris.

3. to lay flat like a layer of plaster.

4. to daub or fill with plaster or something similar.

5. to apply a plaster to (the body, a wound, etc.).

6. to overspread with something, especially thickly or excessively.

   a wall plastered with posters.

7. Informal.

   1. to defeat decisively; trounce; drub.

   2. to knock down or injure, as by a blow or beating.

   3. to inflict serious damage or injury on by heavy bombing, shelling, or other means of attack.

plaster British  

/ ˈplɑːstə /

noun

1. a mixture of lime, sand, and water, sometimes stiffened with hair or other fibres, that is applied to the surface of a wall or ceiling as a soft paste that hardens when dry

2. an adhesive strip of material, usually medicated, for dressing a cut, wound, etc

3. short for mustard plaster plaster of Paris

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verb

1. to coat (a wall, ceiling, etc) with plaster

2. (tr) to apply like plaster

   she plastered make-up on her face

3. (tr) to cause to lie flat or to adhere

4. (tr) to apply a plaster cast to

5. slang (tr) to strike or defeat with great force

Other Word Forms

• plasterer noun
• plasteriness noun
• plasterlike adjective
• plastery adjective
• replaster verb (used with object)
• unplaster verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of plaster

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English, from Medieval Latin plastrum “plaster” (both medical and building senses), aphetic variant of Latin emplastrum, from Greek émplastron “salve,” alteration of émplaston, neuter of émplastos “daubed”; em- ², -plast

Example Sentences

A team from Aberdeen University was despatched to document the scene, stopping to pick up supplies like plaster of Paris from craft shops on the way, before the site was destroyed by the weather forever.

From BBC

It's been quite a week or so for the Scot, who has been plastered all over various social media platforms in the course of doing his job.

From BBC

She then skated away to serve her two minutes, a cheeky grin plastered across her face, chirping all the way to the penalty box.

From The Wall Street Journal

The father-of-four was rushing to plaster the outside walls before returning to work in Riyadh, leaving his family and the snow-capped Himalayas on the horizon behind yet again.

From Barron's

A large British contingent descended on Livigno Snow Park on Sunday to watch Bankes and Nightingale, with huge union jacks plastered with their images pinned to the front of the fan zone.

From BBC

Related Words

• adhesive
• cement
• glue
• lime
• mortar
• stucco