coating

Everyday

1. A coating is a thin layer of something that covers a surface (a coating of dust, a coating of chocolate). tree →
2. Coating is the -ing form of «coat»: covering something with a layer. tree →

In the lessons

In cooking, food gets a coating of breadcrumbs, flour or chocolate. In science and design, coatings protect metal from rust or make pans non-stick. In stories a light coating of snow or frost sets the scene. Phrases: a coating of, sugar coating, non-stick coating, protective coating.

Examples

• There was a thin coating of snow on the cars. tree →
• The biscuits have a chocolate coating. tree →
• Dust formed a coating on the old books. tree →
• The pan has a non-stick coating. tree →
• Paint is a coating that stops wood from rotting. tree →
• We are coating the chicken in breadcrumbs. tree →
• The pill has a sweet coating so it is easier to swallow. tree →
• Charney was about to crush it with his foot, when he saw that there was a kind of soft coating over the leaf. tree →

Note

Countable: a coating, coatings, usually with «of» (a coating of ice). It is not a coat you wear. «Sugar-coat» something means to make bad news sound nicer than it is.