n. & v.
--n.
1. any moist fairly stiff mixture, esp. of powder and liquid.
2 a dough of flour with fat, water, etc., used in baking.
3 an adhesive of flour, water, etc., esp. for sticking paper and other light materials.
4 an easily spread preparation of ground meat, fish, etc. (anchovy paste).
5 a hard vitreous composition used in making imitation gems.
6 a mixture of clay, water, etc., used in making ceramic ware, esp. a mixture of low plasticity used in making porcelain.
--v.tr.
1. fasten or coat with paste.
2 sl. a beat or thrash. b bomb or bombard heavily.
Phrases and idioms:
paste-up a document prepared for copying etc. by combining and pasting various sections on a backing.
Derivatives:
pasting n. (esp. in sense 2 of v.).
Etymology: ME f. OF f. LL pasta small square medicinal lozenge f. Gk paste f. pastos sprinkled