to plaster the ceiling

4.9

Cover a ceiling with wet paste that dries hard to make it smooth

phrasal verb

: enyesar el techo

It took an entire day to plaster the ceiling of the living room.

Examples

We hired a professional to plaster the ceiling after the new wiring was installed.
Before painting, make sure to plaster the ceiling for a flawless finish.
We need to plaster the ceiling before painting.
Can you plaster the ceiling this weekend?
He decided to plaster the ceiling to prepare it for the fresh paint.
Before we hang the new light fixture, we should plaster the ceiling for a smoother appearance.
To achieve an even look, they planned to plaster the ceiling throughout the house.

Synonyms

to plaster over

vsto plaster the ceiling

1 4.5

To cover a surface with a layer of material or paint to hide damage

aims to make overhead areas smooth rather than primarily concealing faults

to stucco

vsto plaster the ceiling

Specialized

1 6.3

To cover a wall or ceiling with hard plaster

focuses on smoothing overhead areas rather than adding decorative texture

to skimcoat

vsto plaster the ceiling

Specialized

8.6

Cover a surface with a thin layer of plaster to make it smooth

applies material to overhead areas generally, not only a thin finishing coat

to render-set

vsto plaster the ceiling

9.2

To cover a wall with two coats of plaster to make it smooth

uses a general single application on overhead areas rather than a set two coat method

Antonyms

to strip

42 2.7

Remove all covering or contents from an object so it is left bare

How Smooth

to finish

Informal

239 2.4

to plaster the ceiling

4.9

to patch

151 2.5

Surface Forms

plaster the ceiling infinitive

plastered the ceiling past

plastered the ceiling past participle

plastering the ceiling present participle

plasters the ceiling third person singular

Morphology

plaster + the + ceiling

The meaning 'to apply plaster to the ceiling' is compositionally derived from 'plaster' (to cover a surface with plaster) combined with 'ceiling' (the overhead interior surface), so the action and patient are transparent. This is a common verb + object construction found across languages and follows normal English compositional patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Plaster the ceiling comes from the simple image of a worker spreading wet plaster onto the room's ceiling and smoothing it flat with a tool while working above their head. So it means 'to apply plaster to the ceiling' or 'to make the ceiling smooth'.