Definition

1. Noun:

   • A soft, moist, and often heated mass of a substance such as herbs, clay, or meal, spread on a cloth and applied to a part of the body to relieve soreness, inflammation, or infection.

2. Verb:

   • To apply a poultice to a part of the body as a medical treatment.

Usage

• As a Noun: The word "poultice" refers to the dressing or preparation itself.
• As a Verb: The word "poultice" describes the action of applying such a dressing.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The herbalist recommended a warm poultice of mustard seed to draw out the infection.
  • A simple bread poultice can soothe a minor boil.
• Verb:
  • The healer poulticed the swollen ankle with a mixture of comfrey and clay.
  • It is common to poultice a horse's leg to reduce inflammation.

Advanced Usage

• "To apply a poultice": This is a common collocation that emphasizes the action of putting the poultice on the skin.
  • The instructions were to apply the poultice and leave it on for twenty minutes.
• "A drawing poultice": A specific type of poultice intended to pull pus or toxins from a wound.
  • A drawing poultice of activated charcoal can be effective for insect bites.

Variants and Related Words

• Cataplasm (n): A formal or technical synonym for "poultice."
• Fomentation (n): Often used interchangeably with "poultice," though it can more specifically refer to a warm, moist application.
• Dressing (n): A general term for any material applied to a wound; a poultice is a type of dressing.
• Compress (n): A pad of cloth applied with pressure, often cold or hot; similar in application but usually simpler in composition than a poultice.

Synonyms

• Noun: Plaster, cataplasm, fomentation, dressing.
• Verb: Dress, apply a dressing, foment.

Phrasal Verbs / Common Phrases

• "To poultice up": An informal phrasal verb meaning to apply a poultice.
  • After the thorn prick, she poulticed up the wound with some plantain leaves.

Related Idioms

• "Like a poultice": Used figuratively to describe something that is soothing, calming, or draws out negativity. This is an uncommon, somewhat archaic idiom.
  • His kind words acted like a poultice on her troubled mind.

Noun

1. 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.

Verb

1. dress by covering with a therapeutic substance