1
: a medicated or protective dressing that consists of a film (as of cloth or plastic) spread with a usually medicated substance
adhesive plaster
broadly
: something applied to heal and soothe
2
: a pasty composition (as of lime, water, and sand) that hardens on drying and is used for coating walls, ceilings, and partitions
plastered; plastering
ˈpla-st(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to overlay or cover with plaster : coat
2
: to apply a plaster to
3
a
: to cover over or conceal as if with a coat of plaster
b
: to apply as a coating or incrustation
c
: to smooth down with a sticky or shiny substance
plastered his hair down
4
: to fasten or apply tightly to another surface
5
: to treat with plaster of paris
6
: to affix to or place on especially conspicuously or in quantity
7
: to inflict heavy damage or loss on especially by a concentrated or unremitting attack
: to apply plaster
Synonyms
Examples of plaster in a Sentence
Noun
put a plaster on the burn and don't touch it
Verb
We plastered and sanded the walls before painting them.
They plastered the walls with posters.
Someone had plastered a political poster on the wall.
His clothes were plastered to his body from the rain.
He plastered his hair down with gel.
Recent Examples on the Web
Chloe Veltman, NPR, 21 Apr. 2024
Materials like work bricks and tools were piled up in the reception area of the house and lime and plaster used to make walls was found.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2024
Reports on other historic homes chronicled falling plaster ceilings from water damage, crumbling bricks and insect infestation.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2024
Carved from wood as a durable, 3-foot-tall, totem-like column, it was then wrapped in linen, covered with smooth plaster and incised and painted.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Made of iron wire, one of the only materials in large supply, with plaster of Paris heads, nearly 200 fashion dolls were created, one third human size, to showcase the newest designs from Paris.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
For instance, textured walls and ceilings or plaster often prove to be difficult for novice drywall finishers.
—Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Experts previously believed that the quicklime used to plaster walls was pre-mixed with water before it was used, but the recent discoveries instead show how workers mixed it with water on site before using it.
—Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
Most of these structures are sunken into the ground, built with a number of large stones that interlock together with some sort of plaster connecting them.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024
Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The names of Harvard students who signed onto a statement from the student group Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee were plastered on billboards near the university's campus.
—Mansee Khurana, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
Explore Billie Eilish See latest videos, charts and news
After changing her Instagram icon to blue last week and plastering teaser posters of lyrics across major cities, Eilish delivered a clever promotional stunt: adding her millions of followers to her Close Friends stories on the app.
—Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2024
Rhys might as well have a sign plastered across his forehead saying KISS ME.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024
The company runs a handful of hotels and office buildings, as well as 15 golf clubs, around the country, all with the Trump name plastered across the front.
—Alex Lemonides, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024
Ethics investigation Photos of Suarez glad-handing with developers and celebrities at VIP sporting events and exclusive parties are plastered across social media.
—Susan Merriam, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
When winter and early spring rains come to the Southland, the San Gabriel Mountains above L.A. get plastered with powder (cue incredible vistas).
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Bong plastered a blow-up of Vattendahl's portrait on the nose of the plane, according to a Pacific Wrecks' summary of the plane's service.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2024
Noun
The work is constructed out of an old-fashioned rotary telephone and a plaster lobster.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 21 Apr. 2024
Materials like work bricks and tools were piled up in the reception area of the house and lime and plaster used to make walls was found.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2024
Reports on other historic homes chronicled falling plaster ceilings from water damage, crumbling bricks and insect infestation.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2024
Carved from wood as a durable, 3-foot-tall, totem-like column, it was then wrapped in linen, covered with smooth plaster and incised and painted.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Made of iron wire, one of the only materials in large supply, with plaster of Paris heads, nearly 200 fashion dolls were created, one third human size, to showcase the newest designs from Paris.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
For instance, textured walls and ceilings or plaster often prove to be difficult for novice drywall finishers.
—Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Experts previously believed that the quicklime used to plaster walls was pre-mixed with water before it was used, but the recent discoveries instead show how workers mixed it with water on site before using it.
—Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
Most of these structures are sunken into the ground, built with a number of large stones that interlock together with some sort of plaster connecting them.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
The answer is plastered on kelly green flags and t-shirts and stickers all over Oakland: sell.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The names of Harvard students who signed onto a statement from the student group Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee were plastered on billboards near the university's campus.
—Mansee Khurana, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
Explore Billie Eilish See latest videos, charts and news
After changing her Instagram icon to blue last week and plastering teaser posters of lyrics across major cities, Eilish delivered a clever promotional stunt: adding her millions of followers to her Close Friends stories on the app.
—Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2024
Rhys might as well have a sign plastered across his forehead saying KISS ME.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024
The company runs a handful of hotels and office buildings, as well as 15 golf clubs, around the country, all with the Trump name plastered across the front.
—Alex Lemonides, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024
Ethics investigation Photos of Suarez glad-handing with developers and celebrities at VIP sporting events and exclusive parties are plastered across social media.
—Susan Merriam, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
When winter and early spring rains come to the Southland, the San Gabriel Mountains above L.A. get plastered with powder (cue incredible vistas).
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Bong plastered a blow-up of Vattendahl's portrait on the nose of the plane, according to a Pacific Wrecks' summary of the plane's service.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plaster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near plaster
Cite this Entry
“Plaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaster. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plaster
1 of 2 noun
plas·ter
ˈplas-tər
1
: a medicated or protective dressing consisting of a film (as of cloth or plastic) spread with a substance that clings to the skin
adhesive plaster
2
: a paste (as of lime, water, and sand) that hardens on drying and is used for coating walls and ceilings
plaster
2 of 2 verb
plastered; plastering
-t(ə-)riŋ
1
: to apply a plaster to
2
: to cover over as if with a coat of plaster
3
: to smooth down with a sticky or shiny substance
plastered my hair down
4
: to fasten or apply tightly to another surface
wet clothes plastered to his body
5
: to affix to or place on especially in large numbers
plaster posters to a wall
6
: to apply plaster
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