a flat or curved sheet of metal, plastic, glass, or similar hard material, on which a picture or text has been engraved, etched, molded, photographically developed, or drawn, that is inked, as in a press, for printing impressions on other surfaces.
13.
a printed impression from such a piece or from some similar piece, as a woodcut.
14.
a full-page illustration in a book, esp. an insert on paper different from the text pages.
15.
a piece of armor made from a thin, flat piece or several such pieces of tough material, esp. wrought iron or steel.
16.
armor composed of thin, flat pieces; plate armor.
17.
Dentistry.
a.
the part of a denture that conforms to the mouth and contains the teeth.
Electronics. one of the interior elements of a vacuum tube, toward which electrons are attracted by virtue of its positive charge; anode. Abbreviation:P
25.
Carpentry. any of various horizontal timbers or boards laid flat across the heads of studding, upon floors, etc., to support joists, rafters, or studs at or near their ends.
26.
a gold or silver cup or the like awarded as the prize in a horse race or some other contest.
27.
a horse race or some other contest for such a prize.
28.
Heraldry. a rounded argent.
–verb (used with object)
29.
to coat (metal) with a thin film of gold, silver, nickel, etc., by mechanical or chemical means.
30.
to cover or overlay with metal plates for protection.
31.
Metalworking.
a.
to forge (a bloom or the like) into a broad piece.
b.
to hammer (cutlery) gently to produce an even surface.
32.
Printing. to make a stereotype or electrotype plate from (type).
33.
Papermaking. to give a high gloss to (paper), as on supercalendered paper.
—Idiom
34.
have on one's plate, Informal. to have as an immediate task, obligation, or prospect: I had too much on my plate already to take on another task.
Origin: 1250–1300; ME < OF: lit., something flat, n. use of fem. of platflat1< VL *plattus, akin to Gk platýs broad, flat
the base at which the batter stands and which a base runner must reach safely in order to score a run, typically a five-sided slab of whitened rubber set at ground level at the front corner of the diamond.
A smooth, flat, relatively thin, rigid body of uniform thickness.
A sheet of hammered, rolled, or cast metal.
A very thin applied or deposited coat of metal.
A flat piece of metal forming part of a machine: a boiler plate.
A flat piece of metal on which something is engraved.
A license plate.
A thin piece of metal used for armor.
Armor made of such pieces.
A sheet of metal, plastic, rubber, paperboard, or other material prepared for use as a printing surface, such as an electrotype or a stereotype.
A print of a woodcut, lithograph, or other engraved material, especially when reproduced in a book.
A full-page book illustration, often in color and printed on paper different from that used on the text pages.
A shallow dish in which food is served or from which it is eaten.
The contents of such a dish: ate a plate of spaghetti.
A whole course served on such a dish.
A dish, cup, or other article of silver or gold offered as a prize.
A contest, especially a horserace, offering such a prize.
A thin flat layer or scale, as that of a fish.
A platelike part, organ, or structure, such as that covering some reptiles.
An electrode, as in a storage battery or capacitor.
The anode in an electron tube.
A flat piece of metal forming part of a machine: a boiler plate.
A flat piece of metal on which something is engraved.
A license plate.
A thin piece of metal used for armor.
Armor made of such pieces.
A sheet of metal, plastic, rubber, paperboard, or other material prepared for use as a printing surface, such as an electrotype or a stereotype.
A print of a woodcut, lithograph, or other engraved material, especially when reproduced in a book.
A full-page book illustration, often in color and printed on paper different from that used on the text pages.
A shallow dish in which food is served or from which it is eaten.
The contents of such a dish: ate a plate of spaghetti.
A whole course served on such a dish.
A dish, cup, or other article of silver or gold offered as a prize.
A contest, especially a horserace, offering such a prize.
A thin flat layer or scale, as that of a fish.
A platelike part, organ, or structure, such as that covering some reptiles.
An electrode, as in a storage battery or capacitor.
The anode in an electron tube.
A thin piece of metal used for armor.
Armor made of such pieces.
A sheet of metal, plastic, rubber, paperboard, or other material prepared for use as a printing surface, such as an electrotype or a stereotype.
A print of a woodcut, lithograph, or other engraved material, especially when reproduced in a book.
A full-page book illustration, often in color and printed on paper different from that used on the text pages.
A shallow dish in which food is served or from which it is eaten.
The contents of such a dish: ate a plate of spaghetti.
A whole course served on such a dish.
A dish, cup, or other article of silver or gold offered as a prize.
A contest, especially a horserace, offering such a prize.
A thin flat layer or scale, as that of a fish.
A platelike part, organ, or structure, such as that covering some reptiles.
An electrode, as in a storage battery or capacitor.
The anode in an electron tube.
Printing
A sheet of metal, plastic, rubber, paperboard, or other material prepared for use as a printing surface, such as an electrotype or a stereotype.
A print of a woodcut, lithograph, or other engraved material, especially when reproduced in a book.
A full-page book illustration, often in color and printed on paper different from that used on the text pages.
A shallow dish in which food is served or from which it is eaten.
The contents of such a dish: ate a plate of spaghetti.
A whole course served on such a dish.
A dish, cup, or other article of silver or gold offered as a prize.
A contest, especially a horserace, offering such a prize.
A thin flat layer or scale, as that of a fish.
A platelike part, organ, or structure, such as that covering some reptiles.
An electrode, as in a storage battery or capacitor.
The anode in an electron tube.
Photography A light-sensitive sheet of glass or metal on which a photographic image can be recorded.
Dentistry A thin metallic or plastic support fitted to the gums to anchor artificial teeth.
Architecture In wood-frame construction, a horizontal member, capping the exterior wall studs, upon which the roof rafters rest.
Baseball Home plate.
A shallow dish in which food is served or from which it is eaten.
The contents of such a dish: ate a plate of spaghetti.
A whole course served on such a dish.
A dish, cup, or other article of silver or gold offered as a prize.
A contest, especially a horserace, offering such a prize.
A thin flat layer or scale, as that of a fish.
A platelike part, organ, or structure, such as that covering some reptiles.
An electrode, as in a storage battery or capacitor.
The anode in an electron tube.
Service and food for one person at a meal: dinner at a set price per plate.
Household articles, such as hollowware, covered with a precious metal, such as silver or gold.
A dish passed among the members of a group or congregation for the collection of offerings.
Sports
A dish, cup, or other article of silver or gold offered as a prize.
A contest, especially a horserace, offering such a prize.
A thin flat layer or scale, as that of a fish.
A platelike part, organ, or structure, such as that covering some reptiles.
An electrode, as in a storage battery or capacitor.
The anode in an electron tube.
A thin cut of beef from the brisket.
Biology
A thin flat layer or scale, as that of a fish.
A platelike part, organ, or structure, such as that covering some reptiles.
An electrode, as in a storage battery or capacitor.
The anode in an electron tube.
Electricity
An electrode, as in a storage battery or capacitor.
The anode in an electron tube.
Geology In the theory of plate tectonics, one of the sections of the earth's lithosphere, constantly moving in relation to the other sections.
Informal A schedule of matters to be dealt with: had a lot on my plate at work after vacation.
tr.v.
plat·ed, plat·ing, plates
To coat or cover with a thin layer of metal.
To cover with armor plate: plate a warship.
Printing To make a stereotype or electrotype from.
To give a glossy finish to (paper) by pressing between metal sheets or rollers.
To arrange (food) on a plate, as for serving: "a choice of starters, entrées, and desserts plated just as they will appear when ordered"(John Edward Young).
[Middle English, from Old French, from feminine of plat, flat, from Vulgar Latin *plattus, from Greek platus; see plat- in Indo-European roots.] plat'er n.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History
plate (n.)
c.1250, "flat sheet of gold or silver," also "flat, round coin," from O.Fr. plate "thin piece of metal" (c.1175), from M.L. plata "plate, piece of metal," perhaps via V.L. *plattus from Gk. platys "flat, broad" (see place (n.)). The cognate in Sp. (plata) and Port. (prata) has become the usual word for "silver," superseding argento via shortening of *plata d'argento "plate of silver, coin." Meaning "table utensils" (originally of silver or gold only) is from M.E. Meaning "shallow dish for food," now usually of china or earthenware, originally of metal or wood, is from c.1450. Baseball sense is from 1857. Geological sense is first attested 1904; plate tectonics first recorded 1969. Plate-glass first recorded 1727.
Main Entry: 1plate Pronunciation: 'plAt Function: noun 1: a thin relatively flat piece or lamina (as of bone) that is part of the body 2 a: a flat glass dish used chiefly for culturing microorganisms; especially:PETRIDISHb: a culture or culture medium contained in such a dish 3: a supporting or reinforcing element: as a: the part of a denturethat fits in the mouth; broadly:DENTUREb: a thin flat narrow piece of metal (as stainlesssteel) that is used to repair a bone defect or fracture
Main Entry: 2plate Function: transitive verb Inflected Forms: plat·ed; plat·ing 1: to inoculate and culture(microorganisms or cells) on a plate; also: to distribute (an inoculum) on a plate or plates for cultivation 2: to repair (as a fractured bone) with metal plates
A smooth, flat, relatively thin, rigid body of uniform thickness.
A thin flat layer, part, or structure.
A thin metallic or plastic support fitted to the gums to anchor artificial teeth.
A metal bar applied to a fractured bone in order to maintain the ends in apposition.
The agar layer within a Petri dish or similar vessel.
A sheet of glass or metal that is light-sensitive and on which a photographic image can be recorded.
v.plat·ed, plat·ing, plates To form a very thin layer of a bacterial culture by streaking it on the surface of agar to isolate individual organisms from which a colonial clone will develop.
[pleyt] 
noun, verb, plat⋅ed, plat⋅ing.
