plat

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈplat 

platted; platting

transitive verb

: plait

plat

2 of 5

noun (1)

: plait

plat

3 of 5

noun (2)

1

: a small piece of ground (such as a lot or quadrat) : plot

2

: a plan, map, or chart of a piece of land with actual or proposed features (such as lots)

also : the land represented

plat

4 of 5

verb (2)

platted; platting

transitive verb

: to make a plat of

plat

5 of 5

abbreviation

1

plateau

2

platoon

Synonyms of plat

Noun (1)

• braid
• lace

Noun (2)

• tract
• field
• ground
• parcel
• clearing
• plot
• meadow

Examples of plat in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a plat of lace

Noun (2)

each settler was granted a plat to farm

plans to build a shopping center on the last undeveloped plat in town

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

On average, the city is platting 892 acres per year and is projected to need 911 acres per year for new growth and development. —Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 14 Jan. 2026

Bennett told the Star-Telegram that Black Mountain will address residents’ concerns about the demand on power and water grids, as well as flooding, as part of the platting process for the project. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Jan. 2026

Noun

From there, a final plan and final plat of subdivision would need to be submitted before the developer could submit permit applications for site development and construction. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026

This year’s lie detector session will take place at Gothenburg – Nordstan from January 16 to 18 and at Olof Palmes plats from January 24 to 26. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English platten, probably variant of pleiten "to fold, pleat entry 1," by generalization of the past tense and past participle forms platte, plattid, formed by analogy with thratte, past of threten "to make a threat, threaten"

Note: This etymology is suggested by Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, following E. J. Dobson, English Pronunciation, 1500-1700, vol. 2, p. 782. Middle English Dictionary lists platten as a separate verb, taken to be a verbal derivative of plat "flat, smooth," with "meaning influenced by pleiten."

Noun (1)

noun derivative of plat entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English, probably alteration of plot

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1589, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing plat

• plat du jour

Kids Definition

plat

noun

ˈplat

1

: a small plot of ground

2

: a plan or map of an area with lots marked out

Legal Definition

plat

noun

ˈplat

: a plan, map, or chart of a piece of land with present or proposed features (as lots)

also : the land represented

Etymology

Noun

probably alteration of plot