Plaster vs. Band-Aid
British English uses “plaster” for a small adhesive dressing; Cambridge gives US trademark “Band-Aid” for that sense. “Plaster” also has other meanings, and “Band-Aid” is a brand name rather than the generic category.
For a small adhesive dressing, British “plaster” corresponds to US “Band-Aid”; generic “adhesive bandage” avoids the regional/trademark distinction.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| small adhesive dressing in British English | plaster | Use the UK term. |
| small adhesive dressing in common US wording using the trademark | Band-Aid | Recognize the US trademark usage. |
| neutral generic wording across regions or where trademark neutrality matters | adhesive bandage / adhesive dressing | Use a generic category term. |
| wall coating or cast-related senses | plaster | These are separate meanings of “plaster.” |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you naming a small adhesive dressing for a minor cut?
If yes: Use “plaster” in UK-oriented prose; “Band-Aid” is common US trademark usage, while “adhesive bandage/dressing” is generic.
If no: If you mean wall material, a cast, or another sense, “plaster” has separate meanings and the regional dressing comparison does not apply.
Caveat: “Band-Aid” is a trademark rather than the generic category, and “plaster” has unrelated meanings outside the small-dressing sense.
Examples
She put a plaster on the small cut.
British English uses “plaster” for a small adhesive dressing.
He put a Band-Aid on the scrape.
The trademark is widely used in US English for the small dressing.
The first-aid kit contains adhesive bandages.
The generic wording avoids the regional/trademark distinction.
Further guidance
Core difference
In British English, “plaster” can mean a small adhesive dressing. In US English, “Band-Aid” is widely used for that item, but it is a trademark name.
Fast Test
For neutral generic wording, “adhesive bandage/dressing” avoids regional and trademark issues.
Usage Boundary
“Plaster” also has unrelated wall-covering and cast senses, so context is essential.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- plaster — Cambridge English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Direct Cambridge dictionary evidence for “be plastered with” when a surface or object is completely or thickly covered with something.