plate

Main Entry:: ¹plate
Pronunciation:: \ˈplāt\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from plate, feminine of plat flat, from Vulgar Latin *plattus, probably from Greek platys broad, flat — more at place
Date:: 14th century

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 tectonics2 [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] aobsolete : a silver coin b: precious metal ; especially : silver bullion3 [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 microorganisms4 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 plate5: a horizontal structural member that provides bearing and anchorage especially for the trusses of a roof or the rafters6: the part of a denture that fits to the mouth ; broadly : denture7: a full-page illustration often on different paper from the text pages8: 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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