paste
UK[peɪst]US[peɪst]
n
A soft, wet, sticky mixture, typically of powder and liquid
n
A smooth, creamy food, such as that made from ground meat, fish, or legumes
n
An adhesive substance used for sticking items together
v
To stick something onto something else using an adhesive
Etymology
The word 'paste' entered English in the 14th century from Old French 'paste', which itself derived from the Late Latin 'pasta', meaning "dough, pastry cake". This Latin term came from the Greek 'pasta', a noun meaning "barley porridge", which is a derivative of the verb 'passein', meaning "to sprinkle". The core logic of the word's evolution lies in the concept of a moistened, malleable substance. From its ancient association with sprinkled flour and liquid to form a dough or porridge, the meaning broadened in English to encompass any similar soft, adhesive mixture, whether culinary, adhesive, or cosmetic.
Analysis
The word 'paste' is a simplex loanword from Old French. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
She used tomato paste to add richness to the sauce.
Apply a small amount of paste to the back of the photograph before positioning it.
The children enjoyed making sculptures with colored paste and paper.