Plate

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pleɪt/
• Homophones: plait
• Rhymes: -eɪt

Old French plate < Medieval Latin plata < Vulgar Latin *plat(t)us < Ancient Greek πλατύς ("broad, flat, wide").

Full definition of plate

Noun

1. A flat dish from which food is served or eaten.I filled my plate from the bountiful table.
2. (uncountable) Such dishes collectively.
3. The contents of such a dish.I ate a plate of beans.
4. A course at a meal.The meat plate was particularly tasty.
5. (figuratively) An agenda of tasks, problems, or responsibilitiesWith revenues down and transfer payments up, the legislature has a full plate.
6. A flat metallic object of uniform thickness.A clutch usually has two plates.
7. A vehicle license plate.He stole a car and changed the plates as soon as he could.
8. A layer of a material on the surface of something, usually qualified by the type of the material; platingThe bullets just bounced off the steel plate on its hull.
9. A material covered with such a layer.If you're not careful, someone will sell you silverware that's really only silver plate.
10. (dated) A decorative or food service item coated with silver.The tea was served in the plate.
11. (weightlifting) A weighted disk, usually of metal, with a hole in the center for use with a barbell, dumbbell, or exercise machine.
12. (printing) An engraved surface used to transfer an image to paper.We finished making the plates this morning.
13. (printing, photography) An image or copy.
14. (printing, publishing) An illustration in a book, either black and white, or colour, usually on a page of paper of different quality from the text pages.
15. (dentistry) A shaped and fitted surface, usually ceramic or metal that fits into the mouth and in which teeth are implanted; a dental plate.
16. (construction) A horizontal framing member at the top or bottom of a group of vertical studs.
17. (Cockney rhyming slang) A foot, from "plates of meat".Sit down and give your plates a rest.
18. (baseball) Home plate.There was a close play at the plate.
19. (geology) A tectonic plate.
20. (historical) Plate armour.He was confronted by two knights in full plate.
• Miltonmangled ... through plate and mail
21. (herpetology) Any of various larger scales found in some reptiles.
22. (engineering, electricity) An electrode such as can be found in an accumulator battery, or in an electrolysis tank.
23. (engineering, electricity) The anode of a vacuum tube.Regulating the oscillator plate voltage greatly improves the keying.
24. (obsolete) A coin, usually a silver coin.
• ShakespeareRealms and islands were as plates dropp'd from his pocket.
25. (heraldiccharge) A roundel of silver or tinctured argent.
26. A prize given to the winner in a contest.

Derived terms

Verb

1. To cover the surface material of an object with a thin coat of another material, usually a metal.This ring is plated with a thin layer of gold.
2. To place the various elements of a meal on the diner's plate prior to serving.After preparation, the chef will plate the dish.
3. To perform cunnilingus.He fingered her as he plated her with his tongue.
4. (baseball) To score a run.The single plated the runner from second base.
5. (aviation, travel industry) To specify which airline a ticket will be issued on behalf of.Tickets are normally plated on an itinerary's first international airline.

Derived terms

• electroplate

Middle English, partly from Anglo-Norman plate ("plate, bullion") and partly from Latin plata ("silver"), from Vulgar Latin *platta ("metal plate"), from feminine of Latin plattus ("flat").

Noun

1. Precious metal, especially silver.
• 1864, Andrew Forrester, The Female Detective:At every meal—and I have heard the meals at Petleighcote were neither abundant nor succulent—enough plate stood upon the table to pay for the feeding of the poor of the whole county for a month
• Peake GormenghastAt the northern extremity of this chill province the gold plate of the Groans, pranked across the shining black of the long table, smoulders as though it contains fire...

Anagrams

• leapt, lepta, Patel, petal, pleat, tepal