PLASTER

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does plaster mean? 

• PLASTER (noun)
  The noun PLASTER has 5 senses:

1. a mixture of lime or gypsum with sand and water; hardens into a smooth solid; used to cover walls and ceilings

2. 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

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. a surface of hardened plaster (as on a wall or ceiling)

5. adhesive tape used in dressing wounds

  Familiarity information: PLASTER used as a noun is common.

• PLASTER (verb)
  The verb PLASTER has 6 senses:

1. apply a heavy coat to

2. cover conspicuously or thickly, as by pasting something on

3. affix conspicuously

4. apply a plaster cast to

5. coat with plaster

6. dress by covering with a therapeutic substance

  Familiarity information: PLASTER used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PLASTER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A mixture of lime or gypsum with sand and water; hardens into a smooth solid; used to cover walls and ceilings

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("plaster" is a kind of...):

mixture ((chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding))

covering material (a material used by builders to cover surfaces)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plaster"):

finish coat; finishing coat (the final coating of (eg., paint, plaster, varnish, etc.))

grout (a thin mortar that can be poured and used to fill cracks in masonry or brickwork)

parget; pargeting; pargetting (plaster used to coat outer walls and line chimneys)

roughcast (a coarse plaster for the surface of external walls)

spackle; spackling compound (powder (containing gypsum plaster and glue) that when mixed with water forms a plastic paste used to fill cracks and holes in plaster)

stucco (a plaster now made mostly from Portland cement and sand and lime; applied while soft to cover exterior walls or surfaces)

Derivation:

plaster (coat with plaster)

plaster (apply a plaster cast to)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

plaster; plaster of Paris

Hypernyms ("plaster" is a kind of...):

calcium sulfate; calcium sulphate (a white salt (CaSO4))

Meronyms (substance of "plaster"):

gypsum (a common white or colorless mineral (hydrated calcium sulphate) used to make cements and plasters (especially plaster of Paris))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plaster"):

gesso (gypsum or plaster of Paris spread on a surface to make it suitable for painting or gilding (or a surface so prepared))

Derivation:

plaster (apply a plaster cast to)

Sense 3

Meaning:

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.

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

cataplasm; plaster; poultice

Hypernyms ("plaster" is a kind of...):

dressing; medical dressing (a cloth covering for a wound or sore)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plaster"):

mustard plaster; sinapism (a plaster containing powdered black mustard; applied to the skin as a counterirritant or rubefacient)

Derivation:

plaster (dress by covering with a therapeutic substance)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A surface of hardened plaster (as on a wall or ceiling)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

plaster; plasterwork

Context example:

there were cracks in the plaster

Hypernyms ("plaster" is a kind of...):

surface (the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plaster"):

pargeting; pargetry; pargetting (ornamental plasterwork)

Derivation:

plaster (coat with plaster)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Adhesive tape used in dressing wounds

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

adhesive plaster; plaster; sticking plaster

Hypernyms ("plaster" is a kind of...):

adhesive tape (tape coated with adhesive)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plaster"):

court plaster (a plaster composed of isinglass on silk; formerly used to dress superficial wounds)

• PLASTER (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Apply a heavy coat to

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

plaster; plaster over; stick on

Hypernyms (to "plaster" is one way to...):

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

plastering (the application of plaster)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cover conspicuously or thickly, as by pasting something on

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

beplaster; plaster

Context example:

She let the walls of the apartment be beplastered with stucco

Hypernyms (to "plaster" is one way to...):

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

Verb group:

plaster (affix conspicuously)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something with something

Sentence example:

They plaster the doors with notices

Sense 3

Meaning:

Affix conspicuously

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

She plastered warnings all over the wall

Hypernyms (to "plaster" is one way to...):

affix; stick on (attach to)

Verb group:

beplaster; plaster (cover conspicuously or thickly, as by pasting something on)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

They plaster notices on the doors

Sense 4

Meaning:

Apply a plaster cast to

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

plaster the broken arm

Hypernyms (to "plaster" is one way to...):

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

plaster (a mixture of lime or gypsum with sand and water; hardens into a smooth solid; used to cover walls and ceilings)

plaster (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)

plastering (the application of plaster)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Coat with plaster

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

daub; plaster

Context example:

daub the wall

Hypernyms (to "plaster" is one way to...):

coat; surface (put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface)

Verb group:

daub (apply to a surface)

Domain category:

masonry (the craft of a mason)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plaster"):

render-set (cover with two coats of plaster)

parget (apply ornamental plaster to)

roughcast (apply roughcast to)

mud (plaster with mud)

mortar (plaster with mortar)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

plaster (a surface of hardened plaster (as on a wall or ceiling))

plaster (a mixture of lime or gypsum with sand and water; hardens into a smooth solid; used to cover walls and ceilings)

plasterer (a worker skilled in applying plaster)

plastering (the application of plaster)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Dress by covering with a therapeutic substance

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

plaster; poultice

Hypernyms (to "plaster" is one way to...):

dress (apply a bandage or medication to)

Domain category:

medicine; practice of medicine (the learned profession that is mastered by graduate training in a medical school and that is devoted to preventing or alleviating or curing diseases and injuries)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

Did he plaster his foot?

Derivation:

plaster (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.)

plastering (the application of plaster)

 Context examples 

Why any burglar should take such a thing passes my understanding, for it was only a plaster cast and of no real value whatever.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I laid down the razor, turning as I did so half round to look for some sticking plaster.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

But I know that I shall never be easy in my mind until I know what has become of my poor man with the sticking-plaster upon his face.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This is breaking a head and giving a plaster, truly!

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Bound down a prisoner, denied even movement by the plaster casts and bandages, White Fang lingered out the weeks.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Jackson had called “Time,” and the two mud-plastered men were already upon their feet, but the interest had suddenly changed from the fight to the audience.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

According to their results, the smooth, plastered surfaces were best for homes to stay dry.

(Smoother walls healthier for lungs, SciDev.Net)

He started to take off his shoes, but fell to staring at the white plaster wall opposite him, broken by long streaks of dirty brown where rain had leaked through the roof.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

A return to clay and plaster followed, and ghostly casts of her acquaintances haunted corners of the house, or tumbled off closet shelves onto people's heads.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The hair was peculiar, plastered down in front in a long, curving wisp over his massive forehead.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)