sticking-plaster

A child puts a sticking-plaster on their knee.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An adhesive bandage: "sticking-plaster" refers to a strip of material with an adhesive backing, used to cover small cuts, wounds, or blisters on the skin. It is also known as an adhesive plaster or band-aid.
   • A temporary fix: Figuratively, "sticking-plaster" can describe a solution that is only intended to cover up a problem temporarily, rather than fix it permanently.

Usage Examples

• Literal use:

  • She put a sticking-plaster on her finger after cutting it on a piece of paper. (An adhesive bandage applied to a small wound.)
  • The nurse handed me a box of sticking-plasters for the minor scrapes. (A collection of adhesive bandages.)

• Figurative use:

  • The government's new policy is just a sticking-plaster for the deeper economic issues. (A temporary, superficial solution.)

Advanced Usage

• "a sticking-plaster solution": a temporary or inadequate remedy that does not address the root cause.
  • The company's quick fix was only a sticking-plaster solution to the software bug. (The fix was not permanent or thorough.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sticking-plaster (noun): The primary form; also written as "sticking plaster" without a hyphen.

  • He used a sticking plaster to cover the blister on his heel. (The same meaning as above.)

• Plaster (noun): A broader term for any adhesive or medical dressing; can also refer to wall plaster.

  • The doctor applied a plaster to the wound. (A medical dressing, not necessarily a small bandage.)

Synonyms

• Band-aid: A brand name often used generically for adhesive bandages.
• Adhesive bandage: A formal term for a sticking-plaster.
• Dressing: A broader term for any medical covering for a wound.

Related Idioms

• "a sticking-plaster over a gaping wound": a metaphorical expression for an extremely inadequate fix to a large problem.
  • Calling a meeting is just a sticking-plaster over a gaping wound in our communication system. (The solution is far too small for the issue.)

Notes on Usage

• The term "sticking-plaster" is more common in British English than American English, where "band-aid" is typically used for the literal sense. In figurative contexts, "sticking-plaster" is also primarily British.