Plaistered

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. To create a protective or decorative layer by applying plaster onto surfaces such as walls and ceilings
2. To apply a coating of plaster to a solid surface for the purposes of refinement or protection
3. To spread or coat a surface with a layer of plaster to smooth or protect it

Etymology: "Plaistered" is an older spelling of "plastered," the past form of "plaister," an obsolete spelling of "plaster" used when the verb was still settling into its modern form. The adjective here means coated or covered with plaster, and the spelling reflects a period when English writers often used "ai" where we now write "a" in this word, following the pattern of the noun it came from. Because "plaistered" is simply the past form of an existing verb, its history is that of "plaster" itself, which English borrowed from the Latin-derived "emplastrum" through Old English and Old French routes. The surprising part is how literal the word has stayed: from its earliest use it has meant spreading a sticky, mineral paste over a surface, and the figurative senses of being overcome or heavily covered grew out of that same physical image.

Synonyms: coated, plastered, covered, smeared, painted

Antonyms: bare, exposed, uncovered, naked, clean