|plaster of Paris|
|1.||a white powder that sets to a hard solid when mixed with water, used for making sculptures and casts, as an additive for lime plasters, and for making casts for setting broken limbs. It is usually the hemihydrate of calcium sulphate, 2CaSO4.H2O|
|2.||the hard plaster produced when this powder is mixed with water: a fully hydrated form of calcium sulphate|
|[C15: from Medieval Latin plastrum parisiense, originally made from the gypsum of Paris]|
plaster of Paris plaster of Par·is (pār'ĭs)
Any of a group of gypsum cements, essentially hemihydrated calcium sulfate, a white powder that forms a paste when mixed with water and hardens into a solid, used in making casts and molds.
|plaster of Paris (plās'tər) Pronunciation Key
A form of calcium phosphate derived from gypsum. It is mixed with water to make casts and molds.