plaster
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A mixture of lime or gypsum with sand and water.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
plasterSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈplæstɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
uncountable
A paste applied to the skin for healing or cosmetic purposes.
A mixture of lime or gypsum with sand and water; hardens into a smooth solid; used to cover walls and ceilings
countable
A cast made of plaster of Paris and gauze; a plaster cast.
countablebritishnew zealandcanada
A small adhesive bandage to cover a minor wound; a sticking plaster.
A similar material used for exterior walls.
verb
Cover conspicuously or thickly, as by pasting something on
“The demonstrators plastered the hallways with posters.”
Apply a heavy coat to
transitive
To smear with some viscous or liquid substance.
transitivefigurative
To smooth over.
transitivefigurative
To bombard heavily or overwhelmingly; to overwhelm (with weapons fire).
transitive
To cover or coat something with plaster; to render.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A mixture of lime or gypsum with sand and water; hardens into a smooth solid; used to cover walls and ceilings
Used this way, plaster is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- adhesive plaster , rarer, so it draws attention
- sticking plaster , used mainly in Regional English
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use plaster
- “There were cracks in the plaster.”noun
- “The demonstrators plastered the hallways with posters.”verb
- “She plastered warnings all over the wall.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The application of plaster.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Generic name for certain synthetic or semisynthetic materials that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or filaments or used for making e.g. coatings and adhesives.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A trowel used to spread and smooth plaster.
A person (considered to be) without human failings.
Apply a heavy coat to.
Any of several gypsum cements.
Bandage consisting of a firm covering (often made of plaster of Paris) that immobilizes broken bones while they heal.
Bandage consisting of a firm covering (often made of plaster of Paris) that immobilizes broken bones while they heal.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A hand tool with a flat face used for smoothing and finishing the surface of plaster or cement or stucco.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: paste applied to the skin for healing
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.