I. ˈpōltə̇s noun
( -s )
Etymology: alteration of earlier pultes, from Medieval Latin, pap, from Latin, plural of pult-, puls porridge made of meal and pulse — more at pulse
: a soft mass (as of bread, bran, or medicated clay) usually heated and spread on cloth for application to sores, inflamed areas, or other lesions, to supply moist warmth, relieve pain, or act as a counterirritant or antiseptic — called also cataplasm ; compare plaster
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to apply a poultice to : dress with a poultice
2. : to apply a mudcap to (as an explosive or a rock surface) preparatory to surface blasting