mustard plaster
1
9.3
- noun
- /ˈmʌstərd ˈplæstər/
- Archaic
:
emplasto de mostaza
- This time, Auntie, for some reason, rubbed him with her palm under the chin, on his chest—where they usually applied mustard plaster when he had a cough.
Examples
-
When someone was suffering from a chest cold with congestion and a sore throat, my grandmother mixed up a mustard plaster and put it on the person's chest, covered with plastic wrap or a rag.
Blog text (15) -
To relieve the pain, the doctor recommended a mustard plaster for its warming effect.
-
All it needed was a mustard plaster.
Fiction book (1995) -
If he needed to report to duty, then perhaps the mustard plaster or hair of the dog would be appropriate.
Blog text (5) -
"I'll make a mustard plaster for you."
Fiction book (1994) -
I think it would be such a good idea... ...if I made Mr. Robinson a nice, hot mustard plaster.
-
During the night, Woo woke Ross three times, twice for the medication and once to change the mustard plaster.
Fiction book (1994) -
My grandmother used to apply a mustard plaster to my chest when I had a bad cough.
-
She prepared a mustard plaster and placed it on the patient's back to soothe his aches.
Synonyms
3
6.5
A hot soft material put on the skin to reduce pain or swelling
A plaster with ground mustard that makes the skin red to ease pain
How Irritating
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: a plaster (medicinal dressing) made from or containing mustard, so a learner who knows 'mustard' and 'plaster' can infer it is a mustard-based dressing used as a remedy. This compound follows a common descriptive noun + noun pattern found across many languages, making the sense readily predictable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Mustard plaster comes from a simple home remedy: people spread powdered mustard on a cloth or plaster and put it on the skin to make warmth and a mild sting. That's why the name means 'a cloth with mustard used to ease aches or chest congestion'.