Sentence:  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 , <WSD>paints</WSD> , 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 . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  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