What does poultice mean?
Word: Poultice
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Poultice means a soft, warm, moist mass of herbs, flour or other material, wrapped in cloth and pressed on the skin to ease pain or swelling.
Synonyms: compress, dressing
Word origin: From Latin pultes, plural of puls, 'thick porridge'.
How do you spell poultice?
Syllables: poul - tice
Tricky part: The ending is tice, as in practice, not tise or tis.
Watch out for: poultise, poultis
Memory tip: Finish it the way the noun practice finishes: t-i-c-e.
Poultice in a sentence
Example 1: The vet put a bran poultice on the horse's sore hoof.
Example 2: In the old story, a kind neighbour pressed a herbal poultice on the shepherd's swollen knee.
Example 3: A hot poultice helped to bring down the swelling on his elbow.
Fun Fact
In many Indian homes, a warm paste of turmeric is still tied over a sprain, a kind of poultice handed down as a family remedy.
Practise the CREST Way
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
ilcupoet 12345678
a) 56248137
b) 56428137
c) 56421837
d) 65428173
Show answer
b) 56428137. Open with the p at 5 and the o at 6, and close with the c at 3 and the e at 7.
Spell Spies
Choose the misspelt word/s in the given sentence:
Grandma's warm poltice of bran and herbs eased the ache in my ankle overnight.
a) poltice and overnight
b) only overnight
c) only poltice
d) eased and ache
Show answer
c) only poltice. Poultice needs ou after the p; overnight is spelt correctly.
Word Tally
Score 2 marks for each correctly spelt word. What is the total score?
poultice, ointment, bandege, antiseptic, plastor
a) 4
b) 6
c) 10
d) 8
Show answer
b) 6. Poultice, ointment and antiseptic are correct (3 x 2 = 6); bandage and plaster are misspelt.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. poultice 2. splint 3. sling a. a strip of wood or plastic tied to an injured limb to keep it still b. a band of cloth that supports an injured arm c. a heated herb pack for a sore spot
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
b) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
b) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b. A poultice soothes, a splint keeps a limb still, and a sling holds up an arm.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who in a folk tale would most likely prepare a poultice?
a) a shopkeeper
b) a bus driver
c) a village healer
d) a cricket umpire
Show answer
c) a village healer
2. Which modern product does a job most like a poultice?
a) a heat pack
b) a toothbrush
c) a sun hat
d) a pencil sharpener
Show answer
a) a heat pack
