plate
14 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
plates
plural
plates
Britannica Dictionary definition of PLATE
1
[count]
a
:
a flat and usually round dish that is used for eating or serving food
—
see picture at place setting
-
plates, bowls, and cups
-
a paper plate
-
fancy dinner/salad/bread/dessert plates
-
a large serving plate [=platter]
-
pie plates [=plates used to hold pies]
b
:
the food that is served on a plate
-
a plate of cheese and crackers
-
a fruit/vegetable/meat plate [=a plate filled with different fruits/vegetables/meats]
-
I ate a salad and a plate of spaghetti.
2
[count]
:
a thin, flat piece of metal
—
see also breastplate, nameplate
-
A shiny metal plate was screwed to the door.
-
He had a steel plate put in his shoulder after the accident.
-
a plate of armor
3
4
[count]
:
one of the usually flat, hard pieces that cover the body of some animals
-
a dinosaur covered in bony plates
5
[singular]
:
a dish or small container used in some churches to collect money
-
They passed around the plate during services.
-
the collection plate
6
the plate
baseball
:
home plate
—
see also step up to the plate (below)
-
The runner was tagged out at the plate.
7
[count]
geology
:
one of the very large sections of the Earth's surface that are believed to move and cause earthquakes where they touch each other
—
see also plate tectonics
8
[noncount]
a
:
metal that is covered with a thin layer of gold or silver
b
:
objects (such as dishes, knives, forks, etc.) that are covered with a thin layer of gold or silver
-
The dishes were solid silver, not plate.
9
[count]
:
a special page in a book that has pictures on it
—
see also bookplate
-
The book is 500 pages long and contains over 50 color plates.
10
[count]
:
a surface of metal, plastic, or wood that is used in printing words or pictures on paper
11
[count]
:
a sheet of glass or plastic that is treated with a special chemical and used in photography
-
photographic plates
12
[count]
:
the part of a set of false teeth that attaches to the mouth
-
the upper/lower plate of a set of dentures
clean your plate
on a plate
informal
:
in a way that requires no effort
:
as a gift
-
He was handed the job on a plate. [=he was given the job without having to do anything to earn it]
-
The victory was handed to us on a plate.
on your plate
informal
— used to refer to the things that a person has to do or deal with at one time
-
She has a lot on her plate right now. [=she has a lot of things that she has to deal with right now]
-
I've got enough on my plate to keep me busy this summer.
step up to the plate
baseball
:
to move into position next to home plate in order to bat
— often used figuratively in U.S. English
-
He finally stepped up to the plate [=he finally took action] and asked her to marry him.
-
If you want this promotion, you're going to have to step up to the plate. [=you will have to improve your work performance to show that you deserve the promotion]
—
see also fashion plate
2
plate
/ˈpleɪt/
verb
plates;
plated;
plating
2
plate
/ˈpleɪt/
verb
plates;
plated;
plating
Britannica Dictionary definition of PLATE
[+ object]
1
:
to add a layer of metal to the outside of (something)
— usually used as (be) plated
-
The tin cups were plated with silver.
2
baseball
:
to cause (a run or a runner) to score
-
His second hit plated [=drove in] two runs.
