plated
plated — verb
- platedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- plateds3rd person singular
- plateding-ing form
- platededpast simple
1. to cover an object with a thin layer of metal — for example, gold, silver, or ch
to cover an object with a thin layer of metal — for example, gold, silver, or chrome — so that it looks more valuable or lasts longer
Mira's grandmother wore a gold-plated bracelet on her wedding day.
compound adjective: gold-plated + noun
The factory plates steel parts with zinc to stop them from rusting.
active voice: plate + object + with + metal
The trophy was plated with silver before the awards ceremony.
Leo bought a cheap ring that was plated with nickel.
Engineers plate electronic parts with copper to improve how well they carry current.
- coat
more general; can be used for any covering material, not just metal
- electroplate
specifically means plating with an electric current; more technical
- gild
specifically means covering with a thin layer of gold
文法句型
plate + object + with + metal
用法筆記
Frequently used in passive form and as a compound adjective (gold-plated, silver-plated, chrome-plated). The metal being applied is always named.
常見錯誤
2. to put a prepared dish onto a serving plate with care and attention to how it lo
to put a prepared dish onto a serving plate with care and attention to how it looks, ready for the table
The chef plated the salmon with roasted potatoes and a bright green sauce.
plate + food + with + sides
Before the guests arrived, Nadia plated each dessert with a mint leaf on top.
The cooking show judge said the dish was plated beautifully.
Feng plated the appetizers on small white dishes for the party.
The kitchen staff plated over a hundred meals in under ten minutes.
文法句型
plate + food/dish
用法筆記
Common in restaurant and cooking contexts. Implies a degree of skill and attention to how the food looks, not just putting it on a plate.
常見錯誤
3. to fit a vehicle, building, or structure with thick sheets of metal to protect i
to fit a vehicle, building, or structure with thick sheets of metal to protect it from attack or damage
The army plated the troop trucks with steel before sending them into the city.
plate + vehicle + with + metal (armor)
Medieval knights rode horses that were plated with heavy armor.
passive: be plated with + armor material
The bank's door was plated with reinforced steel after the robbery.
The security team plated the walls of the safe room with thick iron sheets.
文法句型
plate + vehicle/structure + with + steel/iron
用法筆記
Often appears as the compound 'armor-plated.' Subject is typically a military, security, or defensive context.
4. to attach or fasten something using a flat metal piece, often to repair or stren
to attach or fasten something using a flat metal piece, often to repair or strengthen a broken or weak part
The surgeon plated the broken bone with a small titanium strip.
plate + body part + with + material (medical)
Carpenters plated the beams together at the roof joint.
The mechanic plated the cracked frame of the old truck to hold it steady.
The workers plated the two sections of the bridge before pouring the concrete.
文法句型
plate + object + with + metal strip/sheet
用法筆記
Common in medical contexts (bone repair with metal plates) and construction. Distinguish from sense 1: here the plate is a separate structural piece that is attached, not a thin layer that is deposited.
5. to hit the ball so that a teammate who is already on base can run all the way ar
to hit the ball so that a teammate who is already on base can run all the way around and score a point
Faisal plated two runs with a hard hit to left field.
plate + number + runs
The batter plated the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Eric plated three runners during his best game of the season.
Gabriela plated her teammate with a sharp single up the middle.
- drive in
more common baseball term for bringing a runner home to score
- bring home
informal baseball term; same meaning but less formal
文法句型
plate + number + run(s)
用法筆記
Used only in baseball. The object is the run(s) scored or the runner being brought home. Common in American English sports reporting.
6. to create a metal or plastic printing surface from an image or piece of text so
to create a metal or plastic printing surface from an image or piece of text so that many copies can be printed from it
The printer plated the book pages before running the overnight print job.
plate + noun (printing context)
Bilal's design was plated onto a metal sheet for the magazine's cover.
The craftsmen plated the illustrations by hand in the old workshop.
The newspaper team plated the front page just after midnight.
文法句型
plate + image/text/design
用法筆記
Used only in professional printing contexts. The object is the image, text, or design being prepared for printing — not the metal sheet itself.
plated — noun
1. a flat, usually round object that you eat food from or use to serve food
a flat, usually round object that you eat food from or use to serve food
Eleni set a plate of sandwiches in the middle of the table.
collocation: set a plate
Indra washed the plates while humming a song from her village.
Bilal carefully carried the heavy plate to the dining room.
The children each chose a brightly colored plate for the party.
The waiter's plate slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor.
- dish
more general; a plate is a specific type of flat dish
2. the amount of food that fills one plate
the amount of food that fills one plate
Eitan ate a whole plate of rice and asked for more.
collocation: a whole plate of [food]
Mira served herself a generous plate of salad at the buffet.
The cook prepared a plate of fried fish for each guest.
Piotr could barely finish the huge plate of pasta his aunt made.
Cole passed a plate of cookies around the room after dinner.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3 (MAIN COURSE), which names the dish itself rather than the quantity.
常見錯誤
3. the main part of a meal, served as one dish on a plate
the main part of a meal, served as one dish on a plate
Haruto ordered the fish plate while his friends chose the chicken.
collocation: the [food] plate
The restaurant's most popular plate is the grilled lamb with mint.
Min asked the server about the vegetarian plate on the menu.
Elena enjoyed every bite of the seafood plate at the wedding.
Obi recommended the chef's special plate to everyone at the table.
- main course
formal term for the main dish of a meal
- entrée
American English for the main course
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (PLATEFUL), which describes an amount of food rather than a specific menu item.
4. a thin, flat piece of a hard material such as metal, glass, or plastic
a thin, flat piece of a hard material such as metal, glass, or plastic
The workers lifted a heavy steel plate onto the truck bed.
collocation: steel plate
Arjun cut a small plate of glass to fit the window frame.
The bridge was built using thick plates of reinforced iron.
Piotr measured the metal plate before drilling the holes.
The factory produced thin plastic plates for the new phone cases.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 5 (METAL COATING), which is a thin layer applied to a surface, not a standalone sheet of material.
5. a very thin covering of metal that is put onto a surface through a chemical or e
a very thin covering of metal that is put onto a surface through a chemical or electrical process
The gold plate on the ring began to wear off after a year.
collocation: gold plate / silver plate
Eleni noticed the silver plate peeling from the old teapot.
The factory applies a thin plate of chrome to each car part.
A layer of copper plate covered the steel base of the pot.
The jeweler checked the plate thickness with a special tool.
常見錯誤
6. a broad, flat piece of metal used to protect the body or equipment in battle
a broad, flat piece of metal used to protect the body or equipment in battle
The knight's chest plate stopped the arrow from piercing his skin.
collocation: chest plate
Arjun examined the steel plate that covered the front of the tank.
The museum displayed a dented armor plate from an old warship.
The soldier's shoulder plate clanked against his helmet as he walked.
The crew fitted heavy plates onto the sides of the cannon.
7. a flat, thin layer of bone or other tissue that forms part of a living body — fo
a flat, thin layer of bone or other tissue that forms part of a living body — for example, the bony plates that cover a turtle's back or the small plate-like bones that make up the human skull
The doctor showed Cole the thin bone plate in his neck on the X-ray image.
bone plate: countable anatomical term
A turtle's shell is made of bony plates that fit together like a puzzle.
As people age, the cartilage plates between their spinal bones can wear down.
Eleni learned that the human skull is made of bone plates that fuse together.
The biologist explained that an armadillo's protective plates are made of modified skin and bone.
8. in baseball, the flat rubber marker on the ground at the back end of the batting
in baseball, the flat rubber marker on the ground at the back end of the batting area; a runner must step on it to score a run
Bilal slid across the dirt and touched home plate just before the catcher's tag.
collocation: touch home plate
Arjun kept his back foot beside home plate and waited for the right pitch.
With two outs in the final inning, Mira sprinted from third base toward home plate.
The umpire brushed the dust off home plate before the next batter stepped up.
Cole's teammates cheered when his foot crossed home plate for the winning run.
- home base
used interchangeably in casual speech, though 'home plate' is the official baseball term
用法筆記
Specific to baseball. In softball, the same term is used but the plate itself is slightly larger.
9. one of the enormous, rigid sections that make up the Earth's outer shell, which
one of the enormous, rigid sections that make up the Earth's outer shell, which drift slowly on the hot rock below and whose movements cause earthquakes, volcanoes, and the formation of mountains
The teacher showed Indra how the Pacific plate pushes against the North American plate.
collocation: tectonic plates push against each other
When two tectonic plates slide past each other, the friction can cause powerful earthquakes.
Eitan's project showed how the Indian plate collided with Asia to build the Himalayas.
The country of Iceland sits right on the boundary between two tectonic plates.
Min read that tectonic plates move about as fast as human fingernails grow.
- crustal plate
a synonym used in geology; 'tectonic plate' is far more common in general English
用法筆記
Almost always used in the full phrase 'tectonic plate.' The bare noun 'plate' on its own is rarely used for this sense outside of specialist geology writing.
常見錯誤
10. a flat, shallow dish made of glass or clear plastic that scientists use in labor
a flat, shallow dish made of glass or clear plastic that scientists use in laboratories to grow bacteria, cells, or other tiny living things for study
The technician placed a drop of bacteria onto the glass plate and sealed it.
culture plate: flat dish for growing microorganisms
Obi checked the glass plates each morning to see if the cells had grown.
After three days, tiny white spots appeared on the surface of Haruto's culture plate.
Elena carefully labelled each plate with the date and the type of microorganism inside.
Piotr's teacher lifted a plate from the incubator to show the class the growing mould.
- Petri dish
the common everyday name for a culture plate; technically a brand name that became generic
- culture dish
a broader term that includes plates as well as deeper containers used for growing cells
用法筆記
Often called a 'Petri dish' in everyday speech, though that name originally referred to a specific brand of culture plate.
11. a flat sheet of metal, plastic, or other material whose surface has been prepare
a flat sheet of metal, plastic, or other material whose surface has been prepared with a design so that it can transfer words or pictures onto paper in a printing press
The printer pressed the inked plate onto a sheet of thick cream-coloured paper.
inked plate: printing term for a plate carrying ink
Elena etched her design onto a copper plate and ran it through the old press.
Each bright colour on the children's book cover needed its own separate printing plate.
The workshop taught students how to make printing plates from wood and linoleum.
Bilal admired the fine lines on the steel plate before the printer added any ink.
- engraving
specifically refers to a plate with a design cut into it; not all printing plates are engraved
12. a sheet of glass or metal covered with a chemical layer that is sensitive to lig
a sheet of glass or metal covered with a chemical layer that is sensitive to light, used in early cameras to record images before photographic film was invented
The museum displayed a glass plate that had captured a street scene from the 1880s.
glass plate: early photographic technology
Indra carefully placed the coated plate into the back of the old wooden camera.
In the 1800s, photographers had to prepare their own plates with chemicals before each shot.
The library's archive holds over a thousand glass plates showing the town's early history.
Mira developed the image by washing the plate in a darkroom filled with red light.
- negative
a more general term for any light-sensitive surface carrying a photographic image; a photographic plate is one type of negative
用法筆記
This sense is mainly historical. Modern photography uses digital sensors or plastic film rather than glass or metal plates.
13. a flat sign with letters and numbers, attached to the front and back of a vehicl
a flat sign with letters and numbers, attached to the front and back of a vehicle so the police and authorities can identify it
Haruto's new car still had the temporary paper plate taped inside the rear window.
The security camera caught the plate number of the van that hit the fence.
collocation: plate number
Eleni had to replace her front plate after it fell off on the motorway.
The officer wrote down the plate details before walking over to the driver's window.
Cole ordered a personalised plate with his daughter's name on it for her birthday.
- number plate
the usual term in British English
- licence plate
British spelling variant of license plate
用法筆記
Often shortened from 'license plate' or 'number plate'; in everyday speech people simply say 'plate'.
14. a full-page picture in a book, often printed on thicker or glossier paper than t
a full-page picture in a book, often printed on thicker or glossier paper than the rest of the pages
The old encyclopaedia had a colour plate of tropical birds between pages 240 and 241.
colour plate: illustration printed separately from text
Mira carefully turned to the plate showing the layers of the Earth's crust.
Each chapter of the art book opens with a full-page plate of a famous painting.
The library copy was missing three plates that someone had cut out with a blade.
Indra found a plate of the solar system and helped her son name the planets.
- illustration
a broader term for any picture in a book, not necessarily full-page
15. a thin, flat strip of metal that surgeons attach to a broken bone with screws to
a thin, flat strip of metal that surgeons attach to a broken bone with screws to hold it in place while it heals
The surgeon fixed a titanium plate across the break in Arjun's collarbone.
collocation: titanium plate
After the operation, the metal plate in Cole's ankle would stay there permanently.
Piotr could feel the small plate under his skin whenever the weather turned cold.
The X-ray showed the plate and six screws holding the fractured femur together.
Elena's doctor explained that the plate would be removed once the bone had fully knitted.
- bone plate
the full medical term
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 7 (anatomical plate): this is an artificial implant, not a natural body part.
16. a shallow dish or soft bag passed from person to person during a church service
a shallow dish or soft bag passed from person to person during a church service so people can put money in
The usher passed the collection plate along Row 4 during the morning service.
collocation: collection plate
Eitan slipped a folded note into the plate as it moved past his seat.
The children were each given a coin to drop into the collection plate.
Min watched the priest empty the collection plate and count the coins after the service.
Cole always kept a few coins in his pocket ready for the collection plate.
- offertory plate
a more formal term used mainly in church settings
- collection bag
used when a soft pouch is passed instead of a dish
用法筆記
Also called an 'offertory plate'. The money collected is called the 'offertory' or 'collection'.
17. a horizontal beam in the roof of a building that bears the weight and holds the
a horizontal beam in the roof of a building that bears the weight and holds the rafters or trusses in position
The carpenters lifted the heavy wooden plate into place along the top of the wall.
Elena noticed that the roof plate in the old barn was cracked and needed replacing.
collocation: roof plate
The architect specified a steel plate to anchor the trusses for the new church roof.
Water had been seeping in along the wall plate and rotting the timber from above.
Obi helped his father bolt the plate to the pillars before the roof went on.
- wall plate
specifically a plate that sits on top of a masonry wall
用法筆記
In construction, this is sometimes called a 'wall plate' when it rests on top of a wall.
18. the base of a set of false teeth that rests against the gums or the roof of the
the base of a set of false teeth that rests against the gums or the roof of the mouth and holds the artificial teeth in place
The dentist adjusted the plate so it no longer rubbed against Min's upper gum.
Indra's grandmother soaked her denture plate in a glass of water every night.
denture plate: the base of a set of false teeth
A crack in the plate meant Haruto had to visit the clinic for a new fitting.
The technician shaped the plate to match the exact curve of Arjun's palate.
Elena's father found the old denture plate uncomfortable and switched to a softer type.
- denture base
the formal dental term for this part
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (generic flat piece): this is specifically the base part of a denture, not any flat object.
19. gold or silver thought of as a valuable material for trade; also, a silver coin
gold or silver thought of as a valuable material for trade; also, a silver coin
Cyrus had a safe at home filled with old gold plate.
plate as a mass noun for precious metal
The museum's display of Stuart silver plate drew large crowds all summer.
Aarav paid for the land with a chest of Spanish plate from his travels.
Smugglers hid stolen plate under the floorboards of the old inn.
Alessia found three ancient silver plate coins buried near the Roman wall.
用法筆記
Used as a mass noun for the material itself. In older texts, 'plate' can mean silver coins specifically, distinct from gold coins.
常見錯誤
20. bowls, cups, trays, and other serving pieces used in the home, either crafted fr
bowls, cups, trays, and other serving pieces used in the home, either crafted from or coated in precious metal
Jin polished the silver plate until every spoon and cup gleamed.
silver plate as domestic hollowware
The butler set out the fine gold plate for the Christmas dinner.
Eleni inherited a roomful of Victorian plate from her great-aunt's estate.
Thieves took every piece of plate from the manor while the owners slept.
The auctioneer lifted a heavy tray of Georgian plate for the crowd to see.
- silverware
specifically silver items; plate can include gold-plated or other metal-finished pieces
- hollowware
a technical term used in auctions and antiques for hollow serving vessels
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 19: sense 19 is the raw precious metal as a material, while sense 20 refers to finished household objects. Common in antique-dealing and auction contexts.
常見錯誤
21. a trophy or prize, especially a silver cup or dish, awarded to the winner of a c
a trophy or prize, especially a silver cup or dish, awarded to the winner of a competition
Caleb lifted the winner's plate high above his head while the crowd cheered.
winner's plate: prize sense
The school's name was engraved on the silver plate for the third year running.
Reema trained all season with one goal in mind — to bring home the plate.
The club captain held the championship plate as the team posed for photos.
Indra's name was added to the winners' plate after her stunning victory.
用法筆記
Often used with 'the' — 'the plate' rather than 'a plate.' The prize is typically an actual silver dish or cup, but the word can refer to the title itself.
常見錯誤
22. a flat race where the winning owner collects a fixed cash prize, not a percentag
a flat race where the winning owner collects a fixed cash prize, not a percentage of the total bets placed
Vinícius entered his best colt in the Chester Plate, a fixed-prize race.
Plate as a proper-noun race name
The Northumberland Plate draws huge crowds to the course every June.
Brian's filly came second in the Plate after a thrilling final stretch.
Tariro travelled three hundred miles to watch her horse run in the Plate.
The village Plate has been raced on the same turf since 1824.
用法筆記
Mainly British; often capitalised as part of a race name. The prize is fixed in advance — unlike a stakes race, where the purse depends on entry fees and bets.
23. the full meal — food together with service — provided for one person at a banque
the full meal — food together with service — provided for one person at a banquet, formal dinner, or catered event
The wedding reception cost two hundred dollars a plate, but the food was superb.
dollars a plate: per-person banquet pricing
Sirin ordered forty plates for the company dinner at the hotel ballroom.
Each plate at the charity gala included three courses and a glass of champagne.
Piotr worked out the cost per plate before booking the venue for the reception.
The hotel's banquet plates were the talk of the town — generous and beautifully served.
- cover
a restaurant-industry term for one diner's place setting and meal; plate emphasises the food-and-service as a charged unit
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3 (MAIN COURSE): sense 3 is the food itself placed on a dish, while sense 23 is the full meal-and-service unit provided to each guest at a catered event. Often used with 'per' or 'a' when discussing pricing.
常見錯誤
24. a thin, flat cut of meat taken from the lower front section of a side of beef, j
a thin, flat cut of meat taken from the lower front section of a side of beef, just below the ribs
Mira asked the butcher to trim the beef plate before wrapping it up.
beef plate: the butchery term
The plate is a tough, fatty cut that benefits from long, slow cooking.
Haruto braised the beef plate with root vegetables for a rich winter stew.
The recipe called for two pounds of plate, cut into small chunks.
Min slow-cooked a seasoned beef plate for the family's Sunday lunch.
- short plate
an alternative butchery term for the same cut of beef
用法筆記
Also called 'short plate' in some butchery contexts. Not to be confused with sense 1 (a dish), sense 3 (food on a plate), or sense 23 (banquet meal service). This is a specific primal cut of beef.