First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1plate
noun \ˈplāt\
: a flat and usually round dish that is used for eating or serving food
: the food that is served on a plate
: a thin, flat piece of metal
Full Definition of PLATE
1
a : a smooth flat thin piece of material b (1) : forged, rolled, or cast metal in sheets usually thicker than 1⁄4 inch (6 millimeters) (2) : a very thin layer of metal deposited on a surface of base metal by plating c : one of the broad metal pieces used in armor; also : armor of such plates d (1) : a thin relatively flat anatomical part (as a lamina of bone) of an animal body; especially : scute (2) : the thin under portion of the forequarter of beef; especially : the fatty back part — see beef illustration e : home plate f : any of the large movable segments into which the earth's lithosphere is divided according to the theory of plate tectonics
2
[Middle English; partly from Anglo-French plate plate, bullion; partly from Old Spanish plata silver, from Vulgar Latin *platta metal plate, from feminine of plattus flat] a obsolete : a silver coin b : precious metal; especially : silver bullion
3
[Middle English, from Anglo-French plat, plate dish, plate, from plat flat] a : domestic hollowware made of or plated with gold, silver, or base metals b : a shallow usually circular vessel from which food is eaten or served c (1) : a quantity to fill a plate : plateful (2) : a main course served on a plate (3) : food and service supplied to one person <a dinner at $10 a plate> d (1) : a prize given to the winner in a contest (2) British : a horse race in which the contestants compete for a prize of fixed value rather than stakes e : a dish or pouch passed during collections f : a flat glass or plastic dish used chiefly for culturing microorganisms
4
a : a prepared surface from which printing is done b : a sheet of material (as glass or plastic) coated with a light-sensitive photographic emulsion c : a metallic grid with its interstices filled with active material that forms one of the structural units of a battery d : license plate
5
: a horizontal structural member that provides bearing and anchorage especially for the trusses of a roof or the rafters
6
: the part of a denture that fits to the mouth; broadly : denture
7
: a full-page illustration often on different paper from the text pages
8
: a schedule of matters to deal with <have a lot on my plate now>
— plate·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective
— on a plate
: without having been earned : as a gift <goals were handed to them on a plate>
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Origin of PLATE
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from plate, feminine of plat flat, from Vulgar Latin *plattus, probably from Greek platys broad, flat — more at place
Other Metals and Metallurgy Terms
2plate
verb
: to add a layer of metal to the outside of (something)
baseball : to cause (a run or a runner) to score
plat·edplat·ing
Full Definition of PLATE
transitive verb
1
: to cover or equip with plate: as a : to provide with armor plate b : to cover with an adherent layer mechanically, chemically, or electrically; also : to deposit (as a layer) on a surface
2
: to make a printing surface from or for
3
: to fix or secure with a plate
4
: to cause (as a runner) to score in baseball
5
: to arrange (food) on a plate
See plate defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of PLATE
14th century
PLATE[1] Defined for Kids
1plate
noun \ˈplāt\
Definition of PLATE for Kids
1
: a shallow usually round dish
2
: a main course of a meal <I ate a plate of spaghetti.>
3
: a thin flat piece of material <steel plate>
4
5
: a piece of metal on which something is engraved or molded <a license plate>
6
: an illustration often covering a full page of a book
7
: a sheet of glass coated with a chemical sensitive to light for use in a camera
2plate
verb
plat·edplat·ing
Definition of PLATE for Kids
: to cover with a thin layer of metal (as gold or silver)
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