1.   A thick coating of ice would prevent birds from boring through tree bark to reach insects, or from reaching the seeds on plants.

2.   Green tomatoes, the juiciest of the vegetables, needed a relatively thick coating to seal in the liquid and allow the coating to brown.

3.   Its rough outer skin looks like scaly bark, and often a thick coating of wax is applied to keep it fresh during shipping.

4.   The thick coating of dust on his face could not hide his disappointment.

5.   Their publicity materials revel in championships that wear a thick coating of dust.

6.   They returned to a thick coating of mud and a powerful stench.

7.   Freezing rain created a thick coating of ice in the area throughout Saturday and Sunday morning, then turned to snow Sunday afternoon.

8.   The main highway through the coastal city of Malibu was closed by a thick coating of mud and rock, and motorists abandoned vehicles as they filled with water.

9.   Work continued Friday to remove the thick coating of oil sludge deposited on many beaches in the area.