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paper-mache

paper-mache

1 3.9
A material made of paper and glue you shape when wet and paint when dry
  • noun
  • /ˈpeɪpər məˈʃeɪ/
translation icon : papel maché
  • Traditional Mexican paper mache is known as cartoneria.

And then there were all of these paper mache heads and doll heads everywhere.

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Examples

  • Eric's paper mache masks of Comedy and Tragedy still hang there.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Making paper mache was an activity that excited him.

    Academic text (2003)
  • And then there were all of these paper mache heads and doll heads everywhere.

  • Each one is handmade; I never use mass-produced paper mache forms, so each heart is unique and perfectly imperfect.

    Blog text (1)
  • And finally, I grabbed several of these plain paper mache shapes from the paper craft section of the store and didn't do a thing to them.

    Blog text (1)
  • The children used paper-mache to create colorful masks for the school play.

  • We learned how to make paper-mache sculptures by mixing paper pulp with glue.

  • She bought a kit that included all the materials necessary to make paper-mache art projects.

Synonyms

papier-mache
vspaper-mache
9 5.8

A material of paper and glue you shape when wet and that becomes hard when dry

is the common English spelling for the same molding material
mache
vspaper-mache
2 8.8

A light material of paper and glue used to make masks and small sculptures

focuses on pulp mixed with glue, molded wet and hardened when dry

How Moldable

Plasticine
1 4.2
dough
199 1.2
paper-mache
1 3.9
plaster
53 2.7

Surface Forms

paper-mache singular
paper-maches plural
paper mached plural
paper mache singular

Morphology

paper-mache = paper + mache (semi-transparent) = paper + mache

The term 'paper-mache' is derived from the components 'paper' and 'mache', but the specific crafting material meaning is not immediately obvious from the parts alone.

Etymology

Paper-mache comes from the French words papier and mâché, which literally mean 'chewed paper'. Think of tearing and soaking paper until it is mashed and soft, then mixing it with glue so you can shape it, and when it dries it becomes hard, so the name helps you remember that the material is paper that has been 'chewed' into a paste.