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Synonyms

coating

American  
[koh-ting] / ˈkoʊ tɪŋ /

noun

  1. a layer of any substance spread over a surface.

    Synonyms:
    veneer, sheet, film, covering, coat
  2. fabric for making coats.


coating British  
/ ˈkəʊtɪŋ /

noun

  1. a layer or film spread over a surface for protection or decoration

  2. a heavy fabric suitable for coats

  3. dialect a severe rebuke; ticking-off

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of coating

First recorded in 1760–70; coat + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After the first uncrewed test flight, Artemis I, engineers found that chunks of the heat shield's coating had cracked and broken away during a two‑stage "skip" re‑entry manoeuvre.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

“She had difficulties already in her life, and there’s no sugar coating that. So we had to navigate this argument that what social-media addiction does is it preys upon the vulnerable more times than not.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

It’s a Wednesday afternoon in West Hollywood, one day after the city was blanketed in a light coating of rain.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

This coating is made up of complex sugar molecules that form a gel-like layer on the cell surface.

From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2026

Aldrin, which is 100 times as toxic as DDT to pheasants, is now widely used as a seed coating.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson