pa·pier mâ·ché / ˌpāpər məˈshā; päˈp(y)ā/ • n. a malleable mixture of paper and glue, or paper, flour, and water, that becomes hard when dry: George was constructing a crocodile out of papier-mâché.

papier-mâché. Paper-pulp mixed with resin and glue, or consisting of shreds of paper glued together and pressed into a mould, used to make ornaments or wall- or ceiling-coverings Invented c. ad 200 in East Asia, it was in use in Europe from C16, and especially from C18.

Bibliography

W. Papworth (1852)

papier-mâché (Fr. ‘chewed paper’) Method of moulding forms using paper strips soaked in a starch. The technique originated in 18th-century France. The British adopted the technique to produce a thin paperboard to make trays and mouldings, which were popular in Victorian times. It is still widely used in the production of decorative objects.

papier mâché XVIII. Not of F. orig., though composed of F. words, viz. papier PAPER and mâché, pp. of mâcher chew.