French word

plâtre

Pronunciation

IPA/platʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncast

Example

Il a le bras dans le plâtre.

He has his arm in a cast.

Illustration for plâtre (cast)

More examples

Il porte un plâtre au poignet depuis l'accident.

He has been wearing a cast on his wrist since the accident.

Core concept

A white powder mixed with water into a hard coating, either on a surface or around a broken limb.

Common phrases

  • porter un plâtre

    wear a cast

  • poser un plâtre

    put on a cast

Similar words

pansement: A gauze dressing placed over a wound for protection.
bandage: A cloth wrap used to support and immobilize an injured area.
sparadrap: An adhesive strip used to cover and protect a small wound.
attelle: A support that keeps a broken or sprained body part still.

Definition in French

Matière blanche obtenue du gypse qui durcit au contact de l'eau; désigne aussi la coque rigide formée pour immobiliser un membre fracturé.

Word origin

French plâtre comes through Old French plastre from Latin emplastrum, borrowed from Greek emplastron, meaning something spread on.

Usage tips

  • French uses the same masculine noun, un plâtre, for the material and a medical cast, while dans le plâtre commonly signals the cast.

Other meanings

  • plasternoun

Related words

  • plâtrerplasterverb
  • plâtréplasteredadjective

Word lists with this word