premise: Such an instrument is expected to be especially useful if it could be used to measure the elasticity of heavy pastes such as printing inks , <mask> , adhesives , molten plastics , and bread dough , for the elasticity is related to those various properties termed `` length '' , `` shortness '' , `` spinnability '' , etc. , which are usually judged by subjective methods at present .
hypothesis: the proper context for <mask> here should be a substance used as a coating to protect or decorate a surface (especially a mixture of pigment suspended in a liquid); dries to form a hard coating