putty

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun a dough-like mixture of whiting and boiled linseed oil; used especially to patch woodwork or secure panes of glass
verb apply putty in order to fix or fill

Borrowed from French potée (“polishing powder", originally "the contents of a pot, potful”), from French pot (“pot”). More at English pot.

Do not depend on the putty. — Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau
Heart of man--oh, heart of putty! — The Works of Rudyard Kipling: One Volume Edition, Rudyard Kipling
Dwarf’s body, weak as putty, in a whitelined deal box. — Ulysses, James Joyce

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning