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Definition of platen - 2 dictionary results

plat⋅en

  [plat-n]
Use platen in a Sentence
–noun
1. a flat plate in a printing press for pressing the paper against the inked type or plate to produce an impression.
2. a rotating cylinder used for the same purpose.
3. the roller of a typewriter.
4. (on a planing machine or the like) the bed to which the work is fastened.
5. (on a testing machine) a plate for applying compression to a sample.
Origin:
1400–50; earlier platyne, late ME plateyne chalice cover < MF platine. See plate 1 , -ine 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To platen
plat·en   (plāt'n)   
n.  

  1. The roller in a typewriter that serves as the backing for the paper against which the type bars strike.

  2. Computer Science The roller in a printer against which the print head strikes.

  3. A flat plate or rolling cylinder in a printing press that positions the paper and holds it against the inked type.

  4. The glass surface of a flatbed scanner.


[Middle English plateine, paten, from Old French platine, metal plate, from plat, flat; see plate.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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