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to plaster over

to plaster over

1 4.5
To cover a surface with a layer of material or paint to hide damage
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈplæstər ˈoʊvər/
translation icon : enyesar
  • But you kind of love them just because they're relics, even as you rip them out or plaster over them.

The previous artists that have been it, we're going to get put as a one big piece just plastered over all of them.

Examples

  • All we've done is put a plaster over the cracks.

    Blog text (30)
  • Following the renovations, they plastered over the uneven surfaces to create a smooth finish.

  • The entire structure was plastered over, which thereby provided a certain degree of watertightness.

    Academic text (1995)
  • The center of the town has older-style houses, some built with mud bricks, many of which are plastered over with cement, others left plain.

    Academic text (2001)
  • We also found that two holes had been dug into the walls and then plastered over; we think they were made to contain objects that were later removed.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Some are plastered over and painted in pastels, one or two faced with Spanish tiles, azulejos.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • These tombs are usually made of regular brick and mortar, then plastered over and whitewashed.

    Blog text (25)
  • There stood her dress form, armless, chastely plastered over with brown paper, though her own lines were visible, low-set and full-fleshed, a friendly shape.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • So it was in a state of personal and ontological crisis that I wandered across the ceiling to the location of an old pneumatic message tube, removed and plastered over some 50 years before.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • After repairing the wall, they decided to plaster over the cracks to improve its appearance.

Synonyms

to plaster
vsto plaster over
30 3.8

To cover a surface thickly or stick things all over it

often covers to hide or repair surface imperfections
to render
vsto plaster over
  • UK
2 6.5

To cover a wall with plaster or cement to make it smooth and protect it

focuses more on hiding or fixing faults rather than protection
to stucco
vsto plaster over
  • Specialized
1 6.3

To cover a wall or ceiling with hard plaster

is used mainly to hide or repair flaws rather than decorate

Antonyms

146 2.8

Make something visible by removing a cover or letting light reach it

37 2.7

Remove a cover to show what is under it

How Thick

to plaster over
1 4.5
to patch
151 2.5
to coat
105 2.8
to smear
63 3.7

Surface Forms

plaster over infinitive
plastered over past participle
plastering over present participle
plasters over third person singular

Morphology

plaster + over

The sense is directly compositional: 'plaster' (to coat a surface) combined with 'over' (covering/above) yields the action of applying a coating to cover or hide imperfections. This verb+particle covering pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

Plaster over comes from the work of fixing walls: builders would spread plaster over cracks or bad spots to hide them and make the wall smooth. So it now means 'to hide or cover up problems'.