Cataplasm
/ˈkæt.əˌplæz.əm/noun
A soft medicinal poultice applied to the skin.
Did you know?Cataplasm comes from Greek medical language, where the root behind it originally meant to knead or mold clay, so the word carries the eerie idea of shaping healing matter by hand.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
katáplasma
“A poultice or soothing medicinal application spread on the body”
Late Greek
Greek
kataplássō
“To knead down, mold, or spread on”
Classical Greek
Greek
plássein
“To mold, shape, or form by kneading”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*plāk- / *plā-
“To spread, mold, or flatten”
Late Latin
Latin
cataplasma
“A poultice or medicinal plaster”
14th Century
English
cataplasme
“A medicinal poultice or soft external remedy”