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
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
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
plated; plating
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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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