lath and plaster
1
7.2
- noun
- /læθ ənd ˈplæstər/
- Archaic
:
yeso sobre listones
- After extensive renovations, the old house still had its original lath and plaster walls, adding to its historical charm.
- lath and plaster walls
Examples
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Many homes built in the early 20th century feature walls made of lath and plaster for enhanced insulation.
-
The lath and plaster building was open-sided, with rows of wooden pillars holding up the roof.
Fiction book (1995) -
She was slumped against a wall of dusty lath and plaster.
Fiction book (1992) -
I tell you this, they're the only tract homes in the valley, GI or not, with lath and plaster and hardwood floors.
-
The contractor recommended using lath and plaster for the interior walls to provide a traditional finish.
How Complex
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase names a literal combination of its parts: 'lath' (narrow wood) + 'and' + 'plaster' (gypsum-like coating), describing a construction technique and material. This is fully compositional and non-idiomatic, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The name lath and plaster comes from an old way to make inside walls. Thin wooden strips called laths were nailed to the frame and wet plaster was spread over them to make a smooth surface, so the phrase means a type of 'wall' or 'material' used inside houses.