plaster

/'plɑ:stə/
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plaster

A nurse applies a clean plaster to a child's scraped knee.

Definition
  1. Noun:

    • A medical dressing: A soft, often heated, mixture spread on cloth and applied to the skin to treat inflammation or improve circulation.
    • A building material: A mixture, typically of lime or gypsum with sand and water, that hardens into a smooth solid and is used to coat walls and ceilings.
    • The hardened surface: The smooth, solid layer formed by this material on a wall or ceiling.
    • A sculpting/casting material: A white powder (a form of calcium sulphate/gypsum cement) that forms a paste with water and hardens, used for making molds, sculptures, and casts for broken limbs.
  2. Verb:

    • To apply a coating: To cover a surface (like a wall) with plaster.
    • To apply a medical dressing: To treat by covering with a therapeutic substance.
    • To apply a cast: To immobilize a broken limb with a plaster cast.
    • To cover conspicuously: To affix or spread something over a surface in a very noticeable or thick manner.
    • To apply heavily: To put a heavy coat of something onto a surface.
Usage Examples
  • Noun:

    • The nurse applied a warm plaster to his sore back.
    • We need to buy bags of plaster to repair the wall.
    • There was an old crack in the plaster above the door.
    • The artist used plaster to make a mold of the sculpture.
  • Verb:

    • They decided to plaster the old brick wall to make it smooth.
    • The doctor will plaster the wound to prevent infection.
    • After the fracture, they had to plaster his leg.
    • Protesters plastered the building with flyers and posters.
    • He plastered butter thickly on his toast.
Advanced Usage
  • "To be plastered" (informal idiom): To be very drunk.

    • After three beers, he was completely plastered.
  • "Plaster over": To cover something (like a problem or a crack) superficially, often as a temporary or inadequate fix.

    • They just plastered over the cracks instead of fixing the structural issue.
Variants and Related Words
  • Plastered (adj): 1. Covered with plaster. 2. (Slang) Very drunk.
  • Plasterer (n): A person whose job is to apply plaster to walls.
  • Plasterboard (n): A board made of plaster core between paper sheets, used for walls and ceilings.
  • Plaster cast (n): A rigid dressing of gauze and plaster used to immobilize a broken bone.
Synonyms
  • Noun (building material): Stucco, render, mortar.
  • Noun (dressing): Bandage, dressing, compress.
  • Verb (to cover): Daub, smear, coat, spread.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Plaster over: To cover a surface or a flaw with plaster; to conceal something hastily.
    • We need to plaster over these holes before painting.
  • Plaster with/on: To apply or stick something to a surface in abundance.
    • Her desk was plastered with sticky notes.
Related Idioms
  • Plaster a smile on one's face: To force oneself to smile, often hiding one's true feelings.
    • Even though she was upset, she plastered a smile on her face for the guests.
plaster

A nurse applies a clean plaster to a child's scraped knee.

Noun
  1. adhesive tape used in dressing wounds
  2. a surface of hardened plaster (as on a wall or ceiling)
    • there were cracks in the plaster
  3. a medical dressing consisting of a soft heated mass of meal or clay that is spread on a cloth and applied to the skin to treat inflamed areas or improve circulation etc.
  4. any of several gypsum cements; a white powder (a form of calcium sulphate) that forms a paste when mixed with water and hardens into a solid; used in making molds and sculptures and casts for broken limbs
  5. a mixture of lime or gypsum with sand and water; hardens into a smooth solid; used to cover walls and ceilings
Verb
  1. dress by covering with a therapeutic substance
  2. coat with plaster
    • daub the wall
  3. apply a plaster cast to
    • plaster the broken arm
  4. affix conspicuously
    • She plastered warnings all over the wall
  5. cover conspicuously or thickly, as by pasting something on
    • The demonstrators plastered the hallways with posters
    • She let the walls of the apartment be beplastered with stucco
  6. apply a heavy coat to