Standard Lemma guide

plaster

name · noun · verb · 24 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Geordie, Received-Pronunciation, Southern-England: /ˈplɑːstə/
  • Northern-England: /ˈplastə/
  • Scotland: /ˈplastəɾ/
  • Ireland: /ˈplastəɻ/
  • US: /ˈplæstɚ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈplɐːstə/
  • rhymes with -ɑːstə(ɹ)
  • rhymes with -æstə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: P L AE1 S T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A paste applied to the skin for healing or cosmetic purposes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A small adhesive bandage to cover a minor wound; a sticking plaster.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, New-Zealand, UK, countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A mixture of lime or gypsum, sand, and water, sometimes with the addition of fibres, that hardens to a smooth solid and is used for coating walls and ceilings.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • Near-synonym: stucco (dedicated term for exterior type in some dialects)

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: render, stucco, grout

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A similar material used for exterior walls.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stucco

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A cast made of plaster of Paris and gauze; a plaster cast.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Plaster of Paris.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Qualifier: by ellipsis

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To cover or coat something with plaster; to render.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to plaster a wall

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To apply a plaster to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to plaster a wound

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To smear with some viscous or liquid substance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Her face was plastered with mud.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To hide or cover up, as if with plaster; to cover thickly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The radio station plastered the buses and trains with its advertisement.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To bombard heavily or overwhelmingly; to overwhelm (with weapons fire).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To smooth over.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

adhesive tape used in dressing wounds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: adhesive plaster, sticking plaster

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: adhesive tape

Narrower terms: court plaster

15

noun

Meaning 15

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • there were cracks in the plaster

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plasterwork

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: surface

Narrower terms: pargeting, pargetting, pargetry

16

noun

Meaning 16

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.

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: poultice, cataplasm

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dressing, medical dressing

Narrower terms: mustard plaster, sinapism

17

noun

Meaning 17

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mixture, covering material

Narrower terms: finish coat, finishing coat, grout, parget, pargeting, pargetting, roughcast, spackle, spackling compound, stucco

18

noun

Meaning 18

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plaster of Paris

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: calcium sulphate, calcium sulfate

Narrower terms: gesso

19

verb

Meaning 19

dress by covering with a therapeutic substance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: poultice

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dress

20

verb

Meaning 20

coat with plaster

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • daub the wall

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: daub

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: coat, surface

Narrower terms: render-set, parget, roughcast, mud, mortar

21

verb

Meaning 21

apply a heavy coat to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plaster over, stick on

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cover

22

verb

Meaning 22

apply a plaster cast to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • plaster the broken arm

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cover

23

verb

Meaning 23

affix conspicuously

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She plastered warnings all over the wall

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: affix, stick on

24

verb

Meaning 24

cover conspicuously or thickly, as by pasting something on

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The demonstrators plastered the hallways with posters
  • She let the walls of the apartment be beplastered with stucco

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: beplaster

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cover

History

Etymology

From Middle English plaster, plastre, from Old English plaster, from late Latin plastrum, shortened from Classical Latin emplastrum (“a plaster, bandage”); later reinforced by Anglo-Norman plastre. Displaced native Old English clīþa. The verb is from Middle English plastren, from the noun.

Across languages

Translations

170 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: мехлем (mehlem) — healing paste
  • Danish: salve — healing paste
  • Finnish: voide — healing paste
  • French: onguent — healing paste
  • Galician: emplasto — healing paste
  • German: Salbe — healing paste
  • German: Creme — healing paste
  • Greek: έμπλαστρο (émplastro) — healing paste
  • Ancient Greek: μάλαγμα (málagma) — healing paste
  • Ancient Greek: δρῶπαξ (drôpax) — healing paste
  • Hindi: प्लास्टर (plāsṭar) — healing paste
  • Irish: plástar — healing paste
  • Italian: gesso — healing paste
  • Italian: unguento — healing paste
  • Latin: fōmentum — healing paste
  • Plautdietsch: Pleista — healing paste
  • Polish: gips — healing paste
  • Portuguese: unguento — healing paste
  • Romanian: unguent — healing paste
  • Romanian: cremă — healing paste
  • Romanian: alifie — healing paste
  • Russian: мазь (mazʹ) — healing paste
  • Russian: пла́стырь (plástyrʹ) — healing paste
  • Spanish: ungüento — healing paste
  • Swedish: salva — healing paste
  • Swedish: plåster — healing paste
  • Tamil: பூச்சு (pūccu) — healing paste
  • Afrikaans: pleister — mixture for coating
  • Arabic: مِلَاط (milāṭ) — mixture for coating
  • Arabic: جِبْس (jibs) — mixture for coating
  • Arabic: جِصّ (jiṣṣ) — mixture for coating
  • Armenian: սվաղ (svaġ) — mixture for coating
  • Armenian: գաջ (gaǰ) — mixture for coating
  • Azerbaijani: suvaq — mixture for coating
  • Azerbaijani: mala — mixture for coating
  • Bulgarian: мазилка (mazilka) — mixture for coating
  • Catalan: argamassa — mixture for coating
  • Chinese Mandarin: 石膏 (shígāo) — mixture for coating
  • Czech: sádra — mixture for coating
  • Danish: puds — mixture for coating
  • Danish: gips — mixture for coating
  • Estonian: krohv — mixture for coating
  • Finnish: laasti — mixture for coating
  • French: plâtre — mixture for coating
  • French: enduit — mixture for coating
  • Galician: recebo — mixture for coating
  • German: Putz — mixture for coating
  • German: Verputz — mixture for coating
  • German: Stuck — mixture for coating
  • German: Gips — mixture for coating
  • German: Wandputz — mixture for coating
  • German: Putzmörtel — mixture for coating
  • German: Kalkputz — mixture for coating
  • German: Gipsputz — mixture for coating
  • German: Lehmputz — mixture for coating
  • Greek: ασβεστοκονίαμα (asvestokoníama) — mixture for coating
  • Ancient Greek: κονίαμα (koníama) — mixture for coating
  • Hindi: प्लास्टर (plāsṭar) — mixture for coating
  • Hindi: पलस्तर (palastar) — mixture for coating
  • Hungarian: vakolat — mixture for coating
  • Icelandic: gifs — mixture for coating
  • Indonesian: plester — mixture for coating
  • Irish: plástar — mixture for coating
  • Italian: intonaco — mixture for coating
  • Italian: gesso — mixture for coating
  • Korean: 석고 (seokgo) — mixture for coating
  • Latin: tectōrium — mixture for coating
  • Māori: ukutea — mixture for coating
  • Norman: pliâtre — mixture for coating
  • Persian: گچ (gač) — mixture for coating
  • Plautdietsch: Plosta — mixture for coating
  • Polish: gips — mixture for coating
  • Polish: tynk — mixture for coating
  • Portuguese: gesso — mixture for coating
  • Romanian: tencuială — mixture for coating
  • Russian: штукату́рка (štukatúrka) — mixture for coating
  • Scottish Gaelic: sglàib — mixture for coating
  • Serbo-Croatian: малтер — mixture for coating
  • Serbo-Croatian: malter — mixture for coating
  • Spanish: yeso — mixture for coating
  • Spanish: escayola — mixture for coating
  • Spanish: enlucido — mixture for coating
  • Spanish: revoque — mixture for coating
  • Spanish: estuco — mixture for coating
  • Spanish: emplaste — mixture for coating
  • Swahili: lipu — mixture for coating
  • Swedish: puts — mixture for coating
  • Tamil: காரை (kārai) — mixture for coating
  • Tamil: பூச்சு (pūccu) — mixture for coating
  • Turkish: sıva — mixture for coating
  • Turkish: alçı — mixture for coating
  • Ottoman Turkish: صیوا (sıva) — mixture for coating
  • Catalan: guix — cast
  • Catalan: escaiola — cast
  • Danish: gips — cast
  • Finnish: kipsivalos — cast
  • French: plâtre — cast
  • German: Gips — cast
  • German: Gipsverband — cast
  • German: Abguß — cast
  • German: Gipsabguß — cast
  • German: Gipsabdruck — cast
  • Greek: γύψος (gýpsos) — cast
  • Hungarian: gipsz — cast
  • Hungarian: gipszkötés — cast
  • Irish: plástar — cast
  • Irish: teilgean plástair — cast
  • Italian: gesso — cast
  • Italian: calco — cast
  • Italian: stampo — cast
  • Norman: pliâtre — cast
  • Occitan: geis — cast
  • Occitan: gip — cast
  • Portuguese: gesso — cast
  • Russian: гипс (gips) — cast
  • Serbo-Croatian: гипс — cast
  • Serbo-Croatian: gips — cast
  • Spanish: yeso — cast
  • Spanish: escayola — cast
  • Afrikaans: pleister — to cover with plaster
  • Armenian: գաջել (gaǰel) — to cover with plaster
  • Catalan: arrebossar — to cover with plaster
  • Catalan: enguixar — to cover with plaster
  • Danish: pudse — to cover with plaster
  • Danish: kalke — to cover with plaster
  • Danish: gipse — to cover with plaster
  • Dutch: stuken — to cover with plaster
  • Finnish: rapata — to cover with plaster
  • French: enduire — to cover with plaster
  • French: plâtrer — to cover with plaster
  • Galician: recebar — to cover with plaster
  • German: vergipsen — to cover with plaster
  • German: putzen — to cover with plaster
  • German: verputzen — to cover with plaster
  • German: überziehen — to cover with plaster
  • Ancient Greek: κονιάω (koniáō) — to cover with plaster
  • Hungarian: vakol — to cover with plaster
  • Hungarian: bevakol — to cover with plaster
  • Irish: plástráil — to cover with plaster
  • Irish: dóibeáil — to cover with plaster
  • Māori: whakapiri raima — to cover with plaster
  • Paicî: tämî — to cover with plaster
  • Polish: tynkować — to cover with plaster
  • Portuguese: engessar — to cover with plaster
  • Romanian: tencui — to cover with plaster
  • Spanish: estucar — to cover with plaster
  • Spanish: emplastar — to cover with plaster
  • Spanish: enyesar — to cover with plaster
  • Ottoman Turkish: آلچیلامق (alçılamak) — to cover with plaster
  • Irish: plástráil — to apply a plaster to
  • Ottoman Turkish: آلچیلامق (alçılamak) — to apply a plaster to
  • German: gipsen — to smear with some viscous or liquid substance
  • Irish: plástráil — to smear with some viscous or liquid substance
  • Irish: clúdaigh — to smear with some viscous or liquid substance
  • Irish: cumhdaigh — to smear with some viscous or liquid substance
  • Danish: klistre — to cover up, as with plaster
  • Danish: overklistre — to cover up, as with plaster
  • Finnish: peittää — to cover up, as with plaster
  • Finnish: tapetoida — to cover up, as with plaster
  • Finnish: teipata — to cover up, as with plaster
  • French: enduire — to cover up, as with plaster
  • German: überziehen — to cover up, as with plaster
  • German: überputzen — to cover up, as with plaster
  • German: übertünchen — to cover up, as with plaster
  • German: vergipsen — to cover up, as with plaster
  • Hungarian: befed — to cover up, as with plaster
  • Hungarian: beborít — to cover up, as with plaster
  • Hungarian: telerak — to cover up, as with plaster
  • Irish: clúdaigh — to cover up, as with plaster
  • Irish: brataigh — to cover up, as with plaster
Real reading context

plaster in complete knowledge articles