A poultice is a piece of cloth with a soft, often hot, substance such as clay or a mixture of herbs on it. It is put over a painful or swollen part of someone's body in order to reduce the pain or swelling.
poultice in British English
(ˈpəʊltɪs)
noun
1. Also called: cataplasm medicine
a local moist and often heated application for the skin consisting of substances such as kaolin, linseed, or mustard, used to improve the circulation, treat inflamed areas, etc
2. Australian slang
a large sum of money, esp a debt
Word origin
C16: from earlier pultes, from Latin puls a thick porridge
poultice in American English
(ˈpoʊltɪs)
noun
1.
a hot, soft, moist mass, as of flour, herbs, mustard, etc., sometimes spread on cloth, applied to a sore or inflamed part of the body
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈpoulticed or ˈpoulticing
2.
to apply a poultice to
Word origin
earlier pultes < ML, thick pap, orig. pl. of L puls: see pulse2
Examples of 'poultice' in a sentence
poultice
Forget time, he was told, tear up calendars, chuck away clocks, lie doggo and heal yourself with a long-term poultice of peace and quiet.
Sillitoe, Alan THE OPEN DOOR (2001)
Traveller returned and efficiently applied a poultice to Nandron's leg.
Baxter, Stephen ANTI-ICE (2001)
She sat patiently while Mrs. Henderson removed the poultice, clucked over her knee, then bound it up in a fresh bandage.