plaster of Paris
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plaster of Paris
n.
Any of a group of gypsum cements, essentially hemihydrated calcium sulfate, CaSO4· 1/2 H2O, a white powder that forms a paste when it is mixed with water and then hardens into a solid, used in making casts, molds, and sculpture.
[Middle English, after Paris2France.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
plaster of Paris
n
Sometimes shortened to: plaster 1. a white powder that sets to a hard solid when mixed with water, used for making sculptures and casts, as an additive for lime plasters, and for making casts for setting broken limbs. It is usually the hemihydrate of calcium sulphate, 2CaSO4.H2O
2. the hard plaster produced when this powder is mixed with water: a fully hydrated form of calcium sulphate
[C15: from Medieval Latin plastrum parisiense, originally made from the gypsum of Paris]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
plas′ter of Par′is
(or par′is),
n.
calcined gypsum in white, powdery form, used as a base for gypsum plasters, as an additive of lime plasters, and as a material for fine and ornamental casts.
[1375–1425; so called because prepared from the gypsum of Paris, France]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
plas·ter of Paris
(plăs′tər) A form of calcium phosphate derived from the mineral gypsum. It is mixed with water to make casts and molds.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
plaster of Paris
- So called because it is prepared from the gypsum of Paris, France.See also related terms for plaster.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Noun | 1. | plaster of Paris - 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 gesso - gypsum or plaster of Paris spread on a surface to make it suitable for painting or gilding (or a surface so prepared) gypsum - a common white or colorless mineral (hydrated calcium sulphate) used to make cements and plasters (especially plaster of Paris) calcium sulfate, calcium sulphate - a white salt (CaSO4) |
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