pastes

1. 1
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of paste.

   The paperhanger pastes each strip of wallpaper to the wall and smooths out the bubbles.

   Whenever he pastes a quote into his essay, he adds a citation right after it.

   Note

   One form serves every use of the verb, from the paperhanger's literal sticking to inserting copied text or images, and on to the slang of a team that pastes its rivals by a wide margin. The same spelling is the plural of the noun; a subject in front of it (she pastes, the editor pastes) shows that the verb is meant.

2. 2
   noun

   Plural of paste.

   Her grandmother's brooches were set with glittering pastes rather than real diamonds.

   Engineers study how pastes hold their shape until enough pressure makes them flow.

   Note

   Because the singular usually names a substance, the plural tends to name kinds or batches of it: fish pastes and tomato pastes on a shelf, the different pastes a paperhanger chooses between. The jeweler's sense is the exception, counting single stones, so a brooch set with pastes holds imitation gems of hard lead glass rather than diamonds.

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