Definition

1. Noun:

   • A flat, usually round dish from which food is eaten or served: A shallow, typically circular vessel used for holding food.
   • A thin, flat sheet or piece of material: A rigid, flat piece of material, often metal, glass, or plastic, manufactured to a specific thickness.
   • A sheet of metal, often with information on it: A flat piece of metal, such as one bearing a name, number, or inscription (e.g., a license plate).
   • A photographic plate: A flat sheet of glass or metal coated with a light-sensitive emulsion for photography.
   • A tectonic plate: One of the large, rigid sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move slowly over the underlying mantle.
   • Home plate in baseball: The rubber slab at one corner of a baseball diamond that a base runner must touch to score a run.
   • A full-page illustration in a book: A picture, often a high-quality one, that fills an entire page, typically printed on glossy paper.
   • A dental plate: An appliance that holds artificial teeth.
   • The quantity of food on a plate: The amount of food contained on or served in a single dish.

2. Verb:

   • To coat with a thin layer of metal: To cover an object, typically with a precious metal like gold or silver, by electrochemical or other means.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • She placed the sandwich on the plate.
  • The ship's hull was reinforced with steel plates.
  • The car's license plate was dirty.
  • The book contains several color plates of tropical birds.
  • Earthquakes often occur along the boundaries of tectonic plates.
  • The runner slid into home plate.

• Verb:

  • The artisan plated the copper bracelet with silver.

Advanced Usage

• "To have a lot on one's plate": To be very busy or have many responsibilities to deal with.

  • I can't take on another project; I already have too much on my plate.

• "To step up to the plate": To take responsibility or take action when it is needed.

  • When the manager resigned, she stepped up to the plate and led the team.

Variants and Related Words

• Plateful (n): The amount a plate can hold.

  • He ate a plateful of spaghetti.

• Plating (n): A thin coating of metal, especially gold or silver.

  • The plating on the old cutlery was wearing off.

• Plateau (n): A large, flat area of elevated land. (Note: This is a distinct word, not a variant of 'plate', but it shares the etymological root meaning "flat").

Synonyms

• Dish: A shallow container for food.
• Sheet: A broad, thin, usually rectangular piece of material.
• Panel: A flat, typically rectangular section forming part of a surface.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Plate up: To arrange food on a plate before serving.
  • The chef plated up the dessert beautifully.

Related Idioms

• Hand something to someone on a plate: To give something to someone very easily, without them having to make any effort.

  • He didn't earn the promotion; it was handed to him on a plate.

• Clean one's plate: To eat all the food served to one.

  • The children were told to clean their plates before having dessert.

Noun

1. a dental appliance that artificially replaces missing teeth
2. a metal sheathing of uniform thickness (such as the shield attached to an artillery piece to protect the gunners)
3. a shallow receptacle for collection in church
4. structural member consisting of a horizontal beam that provides bearing and anchorage
5. a flat sheet of metal or glass on which a photographic image can be recorded
6. the positively charged electrode in a vacuum tube
7. any flat platelike body structure or part
8. a main course served on a plate
   • a vegetable plate
   • the blue plate special
9. the thin under portion of the forequarter
10. a rigid layer of the Earth's crust that is believed to drift slowly
11. the quantity contained in a plate
12. dish on which food is served or from which food is eaten
13. a full-page illustration (usually on slick paper)
14. a sheet of metal or wood or glass or plastic
15. (baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
    • he ruled that the runner failed to touch home

Verb

1. coat with a layer of metal
   • plate spoons with silver