plasterer's float

8.1

A flat hand tool with a handle used to smooth wet wall material like plaster or cement

noun
/ˈplæstərərz floʊt/

Specialized

: llana

After applying the plaster, she finished the surface with a plasterer's float for a perfectly even look.

Examples

The mason used a plasterer's float to smooth the final layer of cement on the wall.
A well-designed plasterer's float can make a big difference in the quality of the stucco finish.
The plasterer's float is essential for smooth finishes.
I bought a new plasterer's float yesterday.
After applying the plaster, she finished the surface with a plasterer's float for a perfectly even look.
The mason used a plasterer's float to smooth the final layer of cement on the wall.
A well-designed plasterer's float can make a big difference in the quality of the stucco finish.

Synonyms

float

vsplasterer's float

Specialized

1 8.4

A flat hand tool used to smooth plaster or cement

is the specific trade name used by plastering workers for that tool

Surface Forms

plasterer's float singular

plasterer's floats plural

Morphology

plasterer's + float

The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'plasterer's' indicates the profession/owner and 'float' is a known tool for smoothing plaster, so the meaning ('a float used by a plasterer') follows directly from the constituents. This possessive/compound naming pattern for tools is common across languages and predictable for a B1 learner who knows the words 'plasterer' and 'float'.

Etymology

Plasterer's float comes from the worker plasterer and the word float, a flat tool that 'floats' over wet plaster as it glides to make the surface smooth. That's why the name means the hand tool used to 'smooth' and 'finish' plaster, cement, or stucco.