cataplasm n 1: a medical dressing consisting of a soft heated mass of meal or clay that is spread on a cloth and applied to the skin to treat inflamed areas or improve circulation etc. [syn: {poultice}, {cataplasm}, {plaster}]
Cataplasm \Cat"a*plasm\, n. [L. cataplasma, Gr. ?, fr. ? to spread over; kata` down, wholly + ? to form, mold.] (Med.) A soft and moist substance applied externally to some part of the body; a poultice. --Dunglison. [1913 Webster]