/payst/ , n. , v. , pasted, pasting .
n.
1. a mixture of flour and water, often with starch or the like, used for causing paper or other material to adhere to something.
2. any soft, smooth, and plastic material or preparation.
3. dough, esp. when prepared with shortening, as for making pie crust and other pastry: puff paste.
4. any of various semisoft fruit confections of pliable consistency: almond paste; guava paste.
5. a preparation of fish, tomatoes, or other food reduced to a smooth, soft mass, as for a relish or for seasoning.
6. pasta.
7. a mixture of clay, water, etc., for making pottery or porcelain.
8. Jewelry.
a. a brilliant, heavy glass, as strass, used for making artificial gems.
b. an artificial gem of this material.
9. Slang. a hard smack, blow, or punch, esp. on the face.
v.t.
10. to fasten or stick with paste or the like.
11. to cover with something applied by means of paste.
12. Slang. to hit (a person) hard, esp. on the face.
[ 1350-1400; ME pasta dough pastá barley porridge, n. use of neut. pl. of PASTÓS, verbid of pássein to strew, sprinkle; a pasta was orig. a kind of gruel sprinkled with salt; (defs. 9, 12) prob. by assoc. with BASTE 3 ]