noun
poultice
POHL-tihs
noun
1
A soft, warm, moist paste — often wrapped in cloth — applied to a sore or aching part of the body to soothe it.
"Her grandmother swore by a mustard poultice for chest colds."
"The nurse applied a poultice to draw out the infection."
verb
1
To treat a wound or sore area with a poultice.
"He poulticed the bee sting with baking soda and water."
How to Use Poultice
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA warm, mushy dressing you press onto a sore spot to draw out pain or infection.
Common pairings
apply a poultice
mustard poultice
poultice the wound
Word Forms
poulticed past tense, poultices plural, poultices singular
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Her grandmother swore by a mustard _____ for chest colds.
Etymology
From Latin pultes, "porridge" — the same root as the word "pulse" (as in edible legumes).