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Synonyms

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.

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

"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
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.

Etymology

Origin of plaster of Paris

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

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.

The show consists of life-size figures, cast from live models in gauze and plaster of Paris, arranged in installations on two floors of the gallery’s townhouse.

From New York Times • Nov. 17, 2023

I still love using modeling clay, I love mixing plaster of Paris, I love using oil paints, and the smells!

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2023

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

From Salon • Nov. 3, 2022

Hoyos: In biology, we have to buy plaster of Paris for experiments, to make models.

From Slate • May 2, 2018

“This has plaster of Paris in it,” he tells me as he wraps.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

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.