putty

/ˈpʌdi/

/ˈpʌti/

Other forms: putties; puttied; puttying

Putty is the clay-like substance you can use to fill holes in a wall before painting it, or to secure a piece of glass in a window frame.

Putty comes in different colors and consistencies, but it's generally a very soft doughy material that can fit it small or awkward spaces and hardens after a certain amount of time. Before painting a wall, you might want to putty any holes or cracks, using a putty knife. After the putty dries, you can sand it smooth. The word comes from the French potée, "polishing powder."

Definitions of putty

1. noun

   a dough-like mixture of whiting and boiled linseed oil; used especially to patch woodwork or secure panes of glass
   type of:

   cement

   something that hardens to act as adhesive material

   filler

   used for filling cracks or holes in a surface
2. verb

   apply putty in order to fix or fill
   “putty the window sash”

   type of:

   apply, put on

   apply to a surface