plate

1 of 2

noun

ˈplāt 

plural plates

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 (such 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 cells and microorganisms

especially : petri dish see also agar plate

4

a

: a prepared surface from which printing is done

b

: a sheet of material (such 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

platelike

ˈplāt-ˌlīk 

adjective

plate

2 of 2

verb

plated; plating

transitive verb

1

: to cover or equip with plate: such as

a

: to provide with armor plate

b

: to cover with an adherent layer mechanically, chemically, or electrically

also : to deposit (something, such 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 (a runner) to score in baseball

5

: to arrange (food) on a plate or dish

Phrases

on a plate

: without having been earned : as a gift

goals were handed to them on a plate

Synonyms

Noun

• lamella
• lamina
• scale

Examples of plate in a Sentence

Noun

a plate of cheese and crackers

I ate a salad and a plate of spaghetti.

A shiny metal plate was screwed to the door.

He had a steel plate put in his shoulder after the accident.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Lugo, who recalled his Jack Stack experience in December, savored his brisket plate. —Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024

The 430-foot solo blast off left-hander Taylor Rogers came on his 41st plate appearance of the season. —Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

True Again’ Bailey’s third slide featured a plate of food that consisted of rice, beans, plantain and vegetables, while the star displayed a plastic bottle with a large ice block in the following snap. —Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024

Moyer told Jolley no one was able to get a plate number from the trucks. —Alexandra Duggan and, Idaho Statesman, 31 Mar. 2024

Rookie shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald, making his first of the season in place of Nick Ahmed, booted the first ball off a Padre’s bat, allowing leadoff hitter Xander Bogaerts to reach base on a fielding error and prolonging the inning to bring Campusano to the plate. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024

Betts also walked in the game and has reached base in 13 of his first 19 plate appearances this season. —Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register, 30 Mar. 2024

The Sagittarius moon fills your plate with pressing chores. —USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024

Method: Melt the chocolate chips and pour onto a small plate. —Jillian Dara, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Verb

Each course was plated individually during the meal service. —Rachel Dube, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024

But there was a major issue: Kenny didn’t have time to plate the dark meat with the white, and the contestants had to serve both to the judges to complete the challenge. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2024

Each of those warm, caramelized orange halves is then plated with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, an additional sprinkle of cardamom and a sprig of mint for an absolutely delightful dessert. —Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024

They are made of silver and plated with 6 grams of gold. —John Leicester, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024

The steel provider and service center distributes more than 2 million tons of coil, sheet, and plate with smooth and rough surfaces annually. —Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024

There’s one big exception: it’s plated in 24-karat gold. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024

The craftsmanship was top-notch (knits were linked and never cut and sewn), crochet trims played up their knitter’s artisanal prowess, buttons were gold plated, and nearly all elements of production were in-house. —Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2024

Lastly, the slices are plated with rhodium, which provides a protective layer that wards off corrosion of the iron-rich meteorite. —Nancy Olson, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from plate, feminine of plat flat, from Vulgar Latin *plattus, probably from Greek platys broad, flat — more at place

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing plate

• agar plate
• at the plate
• cell plate
• bite plate
• clean one's plate
• blue plate
• fashion plate
• home plate
• metaphase plate
• hot plate
• license plate
• plate glass
• number plate
• vanity plate
• tin-plate
• sieve plate
• equatorial plate
• silver plate
• plate rail
• wall plate
• end plate
• on one's plate
• neural plate
• plate tectonics
• step up to the plate
• on a plate

Kids Definition

plate

1 of 2 noun

ˈplāt 

1

a

: a flat thin piece of material

b

: metal in sheets

steel plate

c

: a thin layer of one metal deposited on another

2

a

: one of the broad metal pieces used in armor

b

: armor made of plates

3

: a usually flat bony or horny bodily part forming part of a covering of an animal (as some fishes or reptiles)

4

: home plate

5

: any of the huge movable segments into which the earth's lithosphere is divided and which are held to float on and travel over the mantle

6

a

: precious metal

especially : silver bullion

b

: vessels (as bowls or cups) used in the home and made of or plated with precious metal (as silver)

7

a

: a shallow usually circular dish from which food is eaten or served

b

: a main food course served on a plate

a plate of spaghetti

c

: food and service for one person

a dinner at $10 a plate

d

: a dish or pouch used in taking a collection (as in a church)

8

a

: a prepared surface from which printing is done

b

: a sheet of material (as plastic or glass) coated with a chemical sensitive to light for use in a camera

9

: license plate

10

: the part of a denture that holds the false teeth and fits to the mouth

also : a set of false teeth

11

: a full-page illustration

an art book with color plates

platelike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

plate

2 of 2 verb

plated; plating

: to cover or equip with plate

plate the teapot with silver

Medical Definition

plate

1 of 2 noun

ˈplāt 

1

: a thin relatively flat piece or lamina (as of bone) that is part of the body

2

: a flat glass or plastic dish used chiefly for culturing cells and microorganisms

especially : petri dish see also agar plate

3

: a supporting or reinforcing element: as

a

: the part of a denture that fits in the mouth

broadly : denture

b

: a thin flat narrow piece of metal (as stainless steel) that is used to repair a bone defect or fracture

plate

2 of 2 transitive verb

plated; plating

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