poultice

American  

[pohl-tis] / ˈpoʊl tɪs /

noun

1. a soft, moist mass of cloth, bread, meal, herbs, etc., applied hot as a medicament to the body.

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verb (used with object)

poulticed, poulticing

1. to apply a poultice to.

poultice British  

/ ˈpəʊltɪs /

noun

1. Also called: cataplasm.  med a local moist and often heated application for the skin consisting of substances such as kaolin, linseed, or mustard, used to improve the circulation, treat inflamed areas, etc

2. slang a large sum of money, esp a debt

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Other Word Forms

• unpoulticed adjective

Etymology

Origin of poultice

1535–45; earlier pultes, plural (taken as singular) of Latin puls (stem pult- ) thick pap. See pulse ²

Example Sentences

“And thanks to the hair poultice, you appeared to be one Swanburne girl among many,” Miss Mortimer interjected.

From Literature

Nor had she reported receiving the packets of poultice that Miss Mortimer sent Penelope every few months, like clockwork.

From Literature

“It is just as well,” she thought ruefully, as she worked a fresh coat of Miss Mortimer’s poultice into her hair.

From Literature

“I think you have not been using the Swanburne hair poultice, as I asked you to do; am I right? Well, we shall discuss that shortly.”

From Literature

I was a middle-class kid from New Jersey, but like a poultice, this ancient, colonized country drew out an answering difference from my bones.

From Salon