Plate
/pleɪt/
Definitions
4 meaningsA flat, typically circular dish used for eating or serving food.
/pleɪt/
A flat dish for holding food.
She served the lasagna on a large, white plate.
💡 Simply: Imagine a special dish where you put your yummy meals. Like when you get a big slice of pizza, that's on a plate!
👶 For kids: A plate is a flat dish where you put your food to eat.
More Examples
He finished the last morsel on his plate.
How It's Used
"The chef presented a beautiful plate of pasta."
"She set the plates on the table."
A flat, usually rectangular piece of a hard material, such as metal, glass, or plastic, often used for a specific purpose.
/pleɪt/
A flat piece of metal, glass, or other material.
The car's license plate was stolen.
💡 Simply: Imagine a flat piece of something like metal, glass, or plastic. Think of the number plate on a car or the plates in a printing machine.
👶 For kids: A plate can be a flat piece of metal or plastic.
More Examples
The printer used a metal plate to print the image.
The building had decorative metal plates.
How It's Used
"The car's license plate was clearly visible."
"The printing plate was used to create the image."
To cover a surface with a thin layer of metal, typically by electrolysis.
/pleɪt/
To cover with a layer of metal.
The craftsman plated the handle with gold.
💡 Simply: Imagine covering something with a thin layer of another material, like putting a shiny layer of silver on a fork.
👶 For kids: To plate something means to put a layer of something on it.
More Examples
The company plated the steel with nickel.
The silverware was plated with silver.
How It's Used
"The silverware was plated with silver."
"The circuit board was gold-plated."
To arrange food on a plate for serving.
/pleɪt/
To serve food on a plate.
The chef plated the appetizer with precision.
💡 Simply: Imagine arranging the food on your plate in a pretty way, so it looks really nice and delicious.
👶 For kids: To plate food is to put it nicely on a plate so it looks good.
More Examples
She carefully plated the salad with fresh greens.
The server expertly plated the entrees.
How It's Used
"The chef plated the dish beautifully."
"She will plate the entrees for our table."
Idioms & expressions
on a plate
Ready and easily available.
"The company offered him the promotion on a plate."
clean your plate
To eat all the food on your plate.
"My mom always tells me to clean my plate."
From Old French *plate* (flat piece of metal), from Vulgar Latin *platta*, from Greek *platus* (broad, flat).
Historically, 'plate' referred to flat metal armor and evolved to its current usage.