paste¹ (pāst)
n.

1. A soft, smooth, thick mixture or material, as:
   1. A smooth viscous mixture, as of flour and water or of starch and water, that is used as an adhesive for joining light materials, such as paper and cloth.
   2. The moist clay or clay mixture used in making porcelain or pottery. Also called pâte.
   3. A smooth dough of water, flour, and butter or other shortening, used in making pastry.
   4. A food that has been pounded until it is reduced to a smooth creamy mass: anchovy paste.
   5. A sweet doughy candy or confection: rolled apricot paste.
2. 1. A hard, brilliant, lead-containing glass used in making artificial gems.
   2. A gem made of this glass. Also called strass.

v., past·ed, past·ing, pastes.

v.tr.

1. To cause to adhere by or as if by applying paste.
2. To cover with something by or as if by pasting: He pasted the wall with burlap. The wall is pasted with splotches.
3. Computer Science. To insert (text, graphics, or other data) into a document or file.

v.intr.
Computer Science. To insert text, graphics, or other data into a document or file.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin pasta, from Greek, barley-porridge, from neuter pl. of pastos, sprinkled, salted, from passein, to sprinkle.]

paste² (pāst) Slang.
tr.v., past·ed, past·ing, pastes.

1. To strike forcefully.
2. To defeat soundly.

n.
A hard blow.

[Probably alteration of BASTE³.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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