plaster|board /plɑː stə r bɔː r d, plæ s-/ N‑UNCOUNT Plasterboard is cardboard covered with plaster which is used for covering walls and ceilings instead of using plaster.
pla s|ter cast (plaster casts )
1 N‑COUNT A plaster cast is a cover made of plaster of Paris which is used to protect a broken bone by keeping part of the body stiff.
2 N‑COUNT A plaster cast is a copy of a statue or other object, made from plaster of Paris. □ [+ of ] …a plaster cast of the Venus de Milo.
plas|tered /plɑː stə r d, plæ s-/
1 ADJ If something is plastered to a surface, it is sticking to the surface. □ [+ to ] His hair was plastered down to his scalp by the rain.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If something or someone is plastered with a sticky substance, they are covered with it. □ [+ with/in ] My hands, boots and trousers were plastered with mud.
3 ADJ If a story or photograph is plastered all over the front page of a newspaper, it is given a lot of space on the page and made very noticeable. □ His picture was plastered all over the newspapers on the weekend.
plas|ter|er /plɑː stərə r , plæ s-/ (plasterers ) N‑COUNT A plasterer is a person whose job it is to cover walls and ceilings with plaster.
plas|ter of Paris /plɑː stər əv pæ r I s, plæ s-/ N‑UNCOUNT Plaster of Paris is a type of plaster made from white powder and water which dries quickly. It is used to make plaster casts.
plas|tic ◆◇◇ /plæ st I k/ (plastics )
1 N‑VAR [oft N n] Plastic is a material which is produced from oil by a chemical process and which is used to make many objects. It is light in weight and does not break easily. □ …a wooden crate, sheltered from wetness by sheets of plastic. □ A lot of the plastics that carmakers are using cannot be recycled. □ …a black plastic bag.
2 ADJ If you describe something as plastic , you mean that you think it looks or tastes unnatural or not real. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …plastic airline food.
3 N‑UNCOUNT If you use plastic or plastic money to pay for something, you pay for it with a credit card instead of using cash. [INFORMAL ] □ Using plastic to pay for an order is simplicity itself.
4 ADJ Something that is plastic is soft and can easily be made into different shapes. □ The mud is smooth, soft, and plastic as butter. ● plas|tic|ity /plæst I s I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the plasticity of the flesh.
pla s|tic bu l|let (plastic bullets ) N‑COUNT A plastic bullet is a large bullet made of plastic, which is intended to make people stop rioting, rather than to kill people.
pla s|tic ex|plo |sive (plastic explosives ) N‑VAR Plastic explosive is a substance which explodes and which is used in making small bombs.
Plas|ti|cine /plæ st I siːn/ N‑UNCOUNT Plasticine is a soft coloured substance like clay which children use for making models. [BRIT , TRADEMARK ]
pla s|tic su r|geon (plastic surgeons ) N‑COUNT A plastic surgeon is a doctor who performs operations to repair or replace skin which has been damaged, or to improve people's appearance.
pla s|tic su r|gery N‑UNCOUNT Plastic surgery is the practice of performing operations to repair or replace skin which has been damaged, or to improve people's appearance. □ She even had plastic surgery to change the shape of her nose.
pla s|tic wra p N‑UNCOUNT Plastic wrap is a thin, clear, stretchy plastic which you use to cover food to keep it fresh. [AM ] in BRIT, use clingfilm
plate ◆◇◇ /ple I t/ (plates )
1 N‑COUNT A plate is a round or oval flat dish that is used to hold food. □ Anita pushed her plate away; she had eaten virtually nothing. ● N‑COUNT A plate of food is the amount of food on the plate. □ [+ of ] …a huge plate of spaghetti.
2 N‑COUNT A plate is a flat piece of metal, especially on machinery or a building.
3 N‑COUNT A plate is a small, flat piece of metal with someone's name written on it, which you usually find beside the front door of an office or house.
4 N‑PLURAL On a road vehicle, the plates are the panels at the front and back which display the license number in the United States, and the registration number in Britain. □ …dusty-looking cars with New Jersey plates.
5 → see also license plate , number plate
6 N‑UNCOUNT Plate is dishes, bowls, and cups that are made of precious metal, especially silver or gold. □ …gold and silver plate, jewellery, and roomfuls of antique furniture.
7 N‑COUNT A plate in a book is a picture or photograph which takes up a whole page and is usually printed on better quality paper than the rest of the book. □ Fermor's book has 55 colour plates.
8 N‑COUNT In geology, a plate is a large piece of the Earth's surface, perhaps as large as a continent, which moves very slowly. [TECHNICAL ]
9 PHRASE If you have enough on your plate or have a lot on your plate , you have a lot of work to do or a lot of things to deal with. □ We have enough on our plate. There is plenty of work to be done on what we have.
10 PHRASE If you say that someone has things handed to them on a plate , you disapprove of them because they get good things easily. [mainly BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Even the presidency was handed to him on a plate.
plat|eau /plæ toʊ, [AM ] plætoʊ / (plateaus or plateaux , plateaus , plateauing , plateaued )