draw-plate
Definition
Noun: - A "draw-plate" is a tool used in metalworking or wire-making. It is a flat piece of hard material (such as steel or diamond) with a series of holes of decreasing size. Metal is pulled through these holes to reduce its diameter and shape it into a wire or thread.
Usage Examples
- (A tool for pulling metal through holes to make wire.)
- (A manual device for shaping metal by drawing it through progressively smaller openings.)
Advanced Usage
- "to pass through a draw-plate": to undergo the process of being drawn or elongated through the tool.
- The copper rod must be passed through a draw-plate several times to achieve the desired thickness. (To repeatedly pull the metal through the plate to thin it.)
Variants and Related Words
- Drawplate (n): an alternative spelling, used interchangeably.
- The jeweler’s drawplate had twenty holes, each slightly smaller than the last. (The same tool, spelled as one word.)
- Draw (v): to pull or elongate metal through a die or plate.
- He draws the wire through the draw-plate by hand. (To perform the action of using the plate.)
Synonyms
- Wire-drawing plate: a specific type of draw-plate for making wire.
- Die plate: a broader term for a plate with holes used for shaping metal (though dies may be used for cutting or stamping, not solely drawing).
Related Idioms
- "Draw a blank": to fail to find or remember something; unrelated to the tool but shares the verb "draw."
- He tried to recall the name but drew a blank. (Failed to remember; not connected to draw-plate usage.)
- "Draw the line": to set a limit; again unrelated.
- She draws the line at using a draw-plate for anything other than wire. (Sets a boundary; here used figuratively with the tool.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Draw out: to extend or lengthen by pulling.
- The metal was drawn out through the draw-plate to make it longer and thinner. (To elongate by using the plate.)