What does plastering mean?
“Plastering” most commonly names the work of applying plaster to walls, ceilings, or other surfaces, as well as the finished layer produced by that work. It is a practical term associated especially with British, Irish, and related varieties of English, where it commonly appears in phrases such as “wall plastering” and “fresh plastering.” The word also has an informal, distinctly British sense meaning a severe beating or thrashing, as in a report that a team received a plastering. Although the second sense is vivid and humorous, the construction meaning is the more neutral and technically specific. “Plastering” is useful in discussing home decoration, historic buildings, and traditional construction methods, while its idiomatic use adds a memorable informal layer.
The act of applying plaster to a surface, or the layer of plaster resulting from that work.
"The builder recommended a new plastering for the cracked ceiling."
Common in British, Irish, and related varieties of English; in general American usage, “plasterwork” or “plaster” may be more usual.
Present participle of “plaster,” meaning to cover a surface with plaster.
"The workers spent the morning plastering the outside wall."
Used as the present participle in continuous verb forms; the corresponding simple past is “plastered.”
Rare; the noun is normally used in the singular or as a mass noun.
"The old plasterings on the walls were removed before renovation."
From a practical building term to a distinctly British expression for a serious beating, “plastering” has led quite a life beyond the walls.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does plastering come from?
The word comes from “plaster,” which entered Middle English from Old French “plastre” and ultimately derives from Latin “plastrum.” The present form “plastering” was formed by adding the suffix “-ing” to the verb “plaster,” and it came to denote both the activity of applying the material and the resulting layer. The informal sense meaning “to beat severely” developed independently through the metaphor of knocking someone into or against a plastered surface.
Related word forms
How plastering is actually used
In the building sense, the word is normally used in British, Irish, and other varieties of English influenced by British English, and is less common in general American usage. The informal sense meaning “a severe beating” is especially associated with British and Irish English and may sound comic or dated elsewhere.
Easily confused with plastering
“Plaster” is the material used to cover or finish a surface, whereas “plastering” usually refers to the act or result of applying it.