plaster
gb/plˈæstɚ/ us/plˈæstɚ/
A2
English
~ 8400
vakolat, sebtapasz, vakol, beborít, gipsz, gipszkötés, bombáz, össztűz alá vesz, gyógyszeres tapasz, flastrom
NOUN
B1
1
vakolat
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] put[s] plaster on [a wall or ceiling]
The old house had chunks of plaster falling from the ceiling.
A régi ház mennyezetéről vakolatdarabok hullottak.
We had to strip off the loose plaster before repainting the walls.
Újrafestés előtt le kellett vernünk a laza vakolatot a falakról.
Fresh plaster was applied to smooth out the rough brick surface.
The decorator checked that the plaster was dry before hanging the wallpaper.
He brushed the plaster dust off his clothes after a long day on the building site.
Learner examples
The builder put new plaster on the wall.
A kőműves új vakolatot vitt fel a falra.
There is a big hole in the plaster above the door.
Nagy lyuk van a vakolatban az ajtó fölött.
We waited for the plaster to dry before we painted the room.
She cleaned white plaster dust from the floor.
They covered the bricks with plaster to make the wall smooth.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the British word for a small bandage. In construction, 'plaster' is usually an uncountable material (some plaster, not *a plaster*), while the bandage sense is countable (a plaster).
Meaning
wet material for walls and ceilings
Collocations
wet plaster
|plaster wall
|plaster ceiling
|layer of plaster
|cracked plaster
|mix the plaster
Synonyms
stucco (Often used for decorative exterior plaster on buildings, especially in American English.)
|
render (Mainly British; refers especially to plaster or cement applied to outside walls.)
Antonyms
bare brick (Describes a wall surface left uncovered, without plaster.)
Themes
construction
|home
|materials
|housing
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A soft white or gray material that you put on walls or ceilings, which becomes hard when it dries.
A soft mixture, usually of gypsum, sand, and water, spread on walls or ceilings that hardens to form a smooth surface.
NOUN
A2
2
sebtapasz
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] put[s] a plaster on [a cut or wound]
She cut her finger while cooking and put a plaster on it.
Főzés közben megvágta az ujját, és tett rá egy sebtapaszt.
Do we have any waterproof plasters for when I go swimming?
Van itthon vízálló sebtapasz úszáshoz?
He peeled the plaster off the wound to clean it.
The nurse gave the child a cartoon plaster to make him smile.
Keep a few plasters in your bag in case someone gets a small cut.
Learner examples
I need a plaster for this small cut.
Kell egy sebtapasz erre a kis vágásra.
The nurse put a plaster on my knee.
A nővér sebtapaszt tett a térdemre.
Please take off the plaster and wash the cut.
He keeps plasters in his wallet.
Mum said to cover my finger with a plaster.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I need a plaster on"* without an object. The usual pattern is: "I need a plaster" or "I need to put a plaster on my finger." In American English, people rarely say "plaster" for this; they say "Band-Aid" or "adhesive bandage."
Meaning
small adhesive bandage (mainly UK)
Collocations
put a plaster on
|stick a plaster on
|take the plaster off
|box of plasters
|waterproof plaster
|antiseptic plaster
Synonyms
bandage (More general and often larger; not always adhesive and can be used for bigger injuries.)
|
Band-Aid (Common in North American English; a trademark often used like a general word for this kind of bandage.)
Antonyms
uncovered (Describes a cut or wound that is left open, without a plaster or bandage.)
Themes
health
|daily life
|body
|daily_life
Definition
Mainly in British English, a small sticky bandage that you put on a little cut on your skin.
Mainly in British English, a small piece of sticky material with a pad in the middle, used to cover and protect a minor cut or wound.
VERB
B2
3
vakol
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] plaster[s] [a wall or ceiling]
They hired a professional to plaster the living room walls.
Szakembert fogadtak, hogy levakolja a nappali falait.
The builder plastered the ceiling after fixing the leak.
A kőműves levakolta a mennyezetet, miután kijavította a beázást.
We need to plaster over the cracks before we repaint.
He learned how to plaster a wall by watching online videos.
The entire hallway was plastered and painted in just three days.
Learner examples
A worker came to plaster our kitchen walls.
Jött egy munkás, hogy levakolja a konyha falait.
They will plaster the ceiling tomorrow.
Holnap levakolják a mennyezetet.
First we plaster the wall, then we paint it.
He plastered over the holes in the wall.
My uncle knows how to plaster a room.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "plaster" instead of "paint," saying *"plaster the wall blue"*. You plaster a wall with plaster, then you paint it a color.
Meaning
cover walls with plaster
Collocations
plaster the walls
|plaster a ceiling
|freshly plastered
|plaster over cracks
|professionally plastered
|plaster the whole room
Synonyms
render (Mainly British; often used for applying plaster or cement to exterior walls.)
|
skim (In construction, to apply a thin finishing layer of plaster.)
Antonyms
strip (To remove plaster from a wall or ceiling, leaving the surface bare.)
Themes
construction
|home
|housing
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To put wet plaster on a wall or ceiling to make it smooth when it becomes hard.
To spread wet plaster over a wall or ceiling so that it forms a smooth, hard surface when dry.
VERB
B2
4
beborít
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] plaster[s] [something] with [a substance or objects]
The teenagers plastered the walls with concert posters.
A tizenévesek koncertplakátokkal borították be a falakat.
Her face was plastered with heavy makeup for the show.
Az előadásra vastag smink borította az arcát.
The car was plastered with mud after driving down the country lane.
After the storm, the windows were plastered with wet leaves.
Sweat had plastered his hair to his forehead by the end of the game.
Learner examples
They plastered the door with many stickers.
Rengeteg matricával borították be az ajtót.
Her shoes were plastered with wet sand.
A cipőjét vizes homok borította.
The kids plastered the classroom wall with drawings.
Rain plastered his hair to his head.
The car was plastered with snow after the night storm.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the construction meaning and think it must involve actual plaster. In this sense, "plaster" can be used with many things, like mud, snow, makeup, or posters.
Meaning
cover thickly with something
Collocations
plaster the walls with posters
|plaster your face with makeup
|plastered with mud
|plastered with snow
|plaster the noticeboard with flyers
|hair plastered to his head
Synonyms
coat (Neutral; stresses putting a layer on a surface, not always as heavy as "plaster.")
|
smear (Suggests spreading a soft, often messy substance without much care.)
Antonyms
wipe clean (Means to remove substances from a surface so it is no longer covered.)
Themes
appearance
|daily life
|daily_life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To put a lot of something on a surface so that you almost cannot see the surface.
To cover a surface so heavily with a substance or with many flat objects that little or none of the surface can be seen.
NOUN
B1
5
gipsz
A2
gipszkötés
B2
Usage pattern:
[a limb] is in plaster
He broke his arm and had to wear a plaster cast for six weeks.
Eltörte a karját, és hat hétig gipszet kellett hordania.
The doctor said my leg would be in plaster until the bone healed.
Az orvos azt mondta, hogy a lábam gipszben lesz, amíg a csont meg nem gyógyul.
Her wrist was still in plaster when she returned to school.
They finally removed the plaster and told him to start physiotherapy.
The nurse wrote the date on the plaster so they would know when to take it off.
Learner examples
My brother has his leg in plaster.
A testvéremnek gipszben van a lába.
The doctor put my arm in a plaster cast.
Az orvos gipszbe tette a karomat.
She cannot swim because her foot is in plaster.
They took the plaster off after one month.
He asked his friends to sign his plaster.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the British word for a small bandage. For broken bones, English speakers usually say "a cast" or "a plaster cast," not just "a plaster" in many modern contexts.
Meaning
rigid plaster cast on limb
Collocations
plaster cast
|arm in plaster
|leg in plaster
|take the plaster off
|remove the plaster cast
|put his arm in plaster
Synonyms
cast (Common modern medical term; does not specify that the material is plaster.)
Antonyms
unprotected (Describes an injured limb without a cast or plaster around it.)
Themes
health
|medicine
|body
Definition
A hard white covering on an arm, leg, or other body part that doctors use to keep a broken bone still while it gets better.
A hard covering made of plaster, usually wrapped around bandages, used to hold a broken bone in place while it heals.
VERB
C1
INFORMAL
6
bombáz
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone or something] plaster[s] [a target] with [shots, bombs, or criticism]
The artillery units plastered the hillside before the soldiers advanced.
A tüzérségi egységek heves tűz alá vették a domboldalt, mielőtt a katonák előrenyomultak.
Fighter planes plastered the enemy base with bombs.
Vadászgépek bombázták az ellenséges bázist.
The striker plastered the goal with shots but still failed to score.
Film critics absolutely plastered the sequel for its weak plot.
The company was plastered with complaints after the data breach.
Learner examples
The army plastered the city with heavy fire.
A hadsereg heves tűz alá vette a várost.
The team plastered the goal with shots in the last minute.
A csapat az utolsó percben lövésekkel bombázta a kaput.
Critics plastered the new game because of many bugs.
Fans plastered the coach with angry comments online.
The press plastered the politician with hard questions.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this verb in formal writing. In serious news or academic texts, "bombard" or "attack" is usually preferred. "Plaster" in this sense often sounds informal or vivid.
Meaning
bombard or attack heavily
Collocations
plaster a town with bombs
|plastered by artillery fire
|plaster the target
|plaster the goal with shots
|critics plastered the movie
|plastered with online complaints
Synonyms
bombard (More formal and common for both physical attack and repeated questions or criticism.)
Antonyms
spare (To choose not to attack or criticize someone or something.)
Themes
war
|violence
|communication
|law
|politics
Definition
To hit a place or person many times with guns, bombs, or strong criticism.
To hit or attack a place, person, or thing with many shots, bombs, or similar forces; by extension, to criticize very strongly and repeatedly.
NOUN
C2
ARCHAIC
7
flastrom
C2
Usage pattern:
[someone] applies a plaster to [a part of the body]
The doctor prepared a mustard plaster to ease the patient's chest pain.
Az orvos mustártapaszt készített, hogy enyhítse a beteg mellkasi fájdalmát.
Old medical books describe using a medicated plaster on infected wounds.
Régi orvosi könyvek leírják, hogyan használtak gyógyszeres tapaszt fertőzött sebeken.
She remembered her grandmother warming a plaster by the fire before applying it.
The herbalist recommended a drawing plaster to reduce the swelling.
In the past, people relied on plasters and poultices for many illnesses.
Learner examples
Long ago, people used a plaster on the skin for pain.
Régen az emberek fájdalom ellen gyógyszeres tapaszt tettek a bőrükre.
The nurse in the story makes a warm plaster for the man.
A történetben a nővér meleg tapaszt készít a férfinak.
The book says a medicated plaster can help the wound.
Her grandmother put a hot plaster on her chest.
Doctors do not often use this kind of plaster today.
Meaning
old-style medicated skin plaster
Collocations
mustard plaster
|medicated plaster
|apply a plaster
|heating plaster
|drawing plaster
Synonyms
poultice (Modern medical and historical term; can be used for similar warm, moist remedies placed on the skin.)
Antonyms
oral medicine (Refers to medicine taken by mouth rather than applied on the skin.)
Themes
health
|medicine
|body
|daily_life
Definition
An old kind of medicine where a thick paste with medicine is put on cloth and then on the skin.
An old-fashioned medical preparation in which a thick medicated paste is spread on cloth or leather and placed on the skin to treat pain or infection.
Grammar
Dictionary form
plaster
IPA
GB/plˈæstɚ/
US/plˈæstɚ/
Syllables & stress
plaster (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (plaster)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: plaster
- Plural: plaster, plasters
Verb
- Base: plaster
- 3rd Person Singular: plasters
- Present Participle: plastering
- Past: plastered
Word family
Forms
plasters
noun
plastering
verb
plastered
verb
Core family
plasterer
noun
Related words
plasterboard
noun
Advanced or less common
plasterwork
noun
Expressions
be plastered with
1/bˈi plˈæstɚd wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
be completely covered with something
To be covered all over with something, such as mud, snow, posters, or stickers.
Examples
- The wall was plastered with political posters.
- By the end of the hike, our boots were plastered with mud.
- The car was plastered with advertising stickers.
in plaster
1/ˈɪn plˈæstɚ/
fixed phrase
having a limb in a cast
Used to say that someone has a broken bone with a hard plaster cast around it.
Examples
- He was still in plaster when he went back to work.
- I had my leg in plaster for two months after the accident.
- She can’t play the piano while her arm is in plaster.
plaster cast
1/plˈæstɚ kˈæst/
fixed phrase
rigid cast for broken bone
A hard white covering made of plaster that doctors put around a broken bone to keep it still while it heals.
Examples
- She asked her friends to sign her plaster cast.
- The doctor will remove your plaster cast next week.
- His arm was in a plaster cast after the skiing accident.
plaster of Paris
1/plˈæstɚ əv pˈɛɹɪs/
fixed phrase
technical
fine white quick-setting plaster
A very fine white plaster powder that becomes hard very quickly when you mix it with water, used for casts and models.
Examples
- The dentist took an impression and made a model in plaster of Paris.
- Children made masks from strips of plaster of Paris at the art class.
- The statue was first shaped in plaster of Paris before being cast in bronze.
plaster on
1/plˈæstɚ ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
informal
apply very thick layer
To put a lot of something, like makeup or cream, on a surface in a very thick or heavy way.
Examples
- She plastered on the sunscreen before going to the beach.
- He plastered on far too much aftershave.
- The actors plastered on heavy makeup for the stage lights.
plaster over
1/plˈæstɚ ˈoʊvɚ/
phrasal verb
cover damage with plaster
To put plaster on a wall or ceiling to cover cracks, holes, or other damage.
Examples
- They plastered over the cracks before painting the hallway.
- The builder said he would plaster over the old fireplace opening.
- You can’t just plaster over damp walls without fixing the cause.
plaster over the cracks
1/plˈæstɚ ˈoʊvɚ ðə kɹˈæks/
idiom
hide problems without fixing them
To try to hide problems so that people do not see them, instead of really fixing the problems.
Examples
- The new logo just plasters over the cracks; it doesn’t fix the company’s real issues.
- They tried to plaster over the cracks in their relationship by going on holiday.
- Throwing money at the project will only plaster over the cracks for a while.
sticking plaster
1/stˈɪkɪŋ plˈæstɚ/
fixed phrase
small adhesive bandage (UK)
Mainly in British English, a small sticky bandage that you put on a cut or small wound.
Examples
- Have you got any sticking plasters in your bag?
- The school nurse cleaned the cut and put a sticking plaster on it.
- He covered the blister on his heel with a sticking plaster before walking home.