A moist, often medicated, mass applied to a wound or a painful area to reduce pain or to help in healing. The medicated mass may produce soothing vapors to aid in healing. Poultices are commonly hydrated clays, often bentonite. Poultices are also used to dissolve stains from porous decorative stone by the long-term application of a solvent via the poultice.
Syn., cataplasm