plates
plates — verb
- platespresent simple I / you / we / they
- plateses3rd person singular
- platesing-ing form
- platesedpast simple
1. to put a thin coat of one metal onto the surface of another metal object — for e
to put a thin coat of one metal onto the surface of another metal object — for example, a silver ring plated with gold
Keiko had her grandmother's old silver ring plated with gold.
plate + something + with + gold
Amir bought a steel necklace plated with rose gold for his wife.
The workshop plates copper pots with tin to stop them from rusting.
Fatima's bracelet was plated with rhodium to give it a bright shine.
The jeweller plates old brass pendants with silver before selling them.
- coat
broader — can be any substance (paint, plastic), not only metal
- gild
specifically coating with gold; more literary or formal
- electroplate
technical — uses electricity to bond the metal layer
- strip
remove the coating from a metal surface
文法句型
plate + something + with + gold/silver/copper etc.
用法筆記
Frequently passive: something is plated with gold, silver, etc. The active subject is usually a person or workshop doing the plating.
常見錯誤
plates — noun
- platessingular
- platesesplural
1. a round, flat container with a low raised edge, used for putting food on during
a round, flat container with a low raised edge, used for putting food on during a meal
Mei-Lin set the warm dinner plates on the table before calling everyone to eat.
collocation: dinner plates
Dmitri stacked the clean plates beside the sink after washing off the leftover sauce.
The waiter carried three heavy plates of pasta through the crowded restaurant.
Amara chose the blue ceramic plates because they matched the kitchen walls.
Kwame passed a stack of paper plates to his sister for the birthday picnic.
2. the amount of food that fills or is served on one plate
the amount of food that fills or is served on one plate
Ingrid ate a huge plate of spaghetti after running fifteen kilometres.
collocation: a plate of + food
The children each took a plate of sandwiches and sat outside in the sun.
Sanjay ordered a plate of grilled fish with rice at the seaside café.
Yara could barely finish the plate of roast chicken her grandmother gave her.
The cook prepared twenty plates of curry for the wedding guests.
用法筆記
Always followed by 'of' plus a type of food. Unlike sense 1, this names the quantity of food, not the object holding it.
常見錯誤
3. a stiff, flat sheet of hard material — for example, metal, glass, or plastic — t
a stiff, flat sheet of hard material — for example, metal, glass, or plastic — that does not bend easily
The builders screwed thick steel plates over the broken section of the bridge.
collocation: steel plates
Taro cut a plate of clear glass to fit the new window frame.
The mechanic removed the metal plate under the engine to check for leaks.
Elena glued a thin plastic plate over the hole in the water tank.
A large stone plate covered the old well at the back of the garden.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (EATING DISH): this sense refers to construction or industrial material, not tableware.
4. a flat metal sheet with words or images etched into its surface, used for making
a flat metal sheet with words or images etched into its surface, used for making printed copies
The printer cleaned the copper plate before running the next batch of invitations.
collocation: copper plate
Oluwaseun checked the printing plates to make sure every letter was sharp.
collocation: printing plates
The artist used a separate plate for each colour in the book illustration.
Fatima stored the old engraved plates in a wooden box under her desk.
Each page of the newspaper was made from a different metal plate.
- engraving
'Engraving' can refer to the process or the finished artwork; 'plate' refers to the physical object used in the process.
- printing block
An older term, often for wooden printing surfaces; 'plate' almost always implies metal.
用法筆記
Only used in printing and publishing. Not to be confused with sense 3 (FLAT RIGID SHEET), which describes any stiff flat material.
5. a flat, heavy disc that people lift repeatedly to strengthen their muscles, typi
a flat, heavy disc that people lift repeatedly to strengthen their muscles, typically used in a gym
Wei added two more plates to the barbell before attempting his final set.
collocation: add plates to the barbell
The trainer showed Hana how to load the plates safely onto the squat rack.
Sofia struggled to lift the twenty-kilogram plate above her chest.
The gym floor shook when Raj dropped the heavy plates after his deadlift.
Noor loaded two ten-kilo plates onto the barbell and stepped under it for her first squat.
用法筆記
Only used in gym or weightlifting settings. In everyday speech often shortened to just 'plate' — e.g., 'I can lift four plates now.'
常見錯誤
6. a full-page picture or illustration in a book, usually printed on glossier, thic
a full-page picture or illustration in a book, usually printed on glossier, thicker paper than the surrounding pages
The children's encyclopaedia had bright colour plates of birds on every other page.
collocation: colour plates
Nia turned to the colour plate of a huge blue whale and gasped.
The old art book contains thirty plates of famous paintings from the museum.
Each chapter of the field guide ends with a plate of local wildflowers.
The library copy was missing two plates that someone had torn out long ago.
- illustration
'Illustration' is broader and can be any size or placement; 'plate' specifically means a full-page image, often on glossy paper.
- colour plate
A more specific term used when the full-page illustration is printed in colour rather than black and white.
用法筆記
Used mainly in publishing and book-collecting. Often appears as 'colour plate' when the illustration is in colour.
7. in baseball, an informal name for home plate — the rubber base that a batter sta
in baseball, an informal name for home plate — the rubber base that a batter stands beside and that a runner must step on to score
Mark tapped the plates with his bat twice before the pitcher started his windup.
informal baseball usage for home plate
Sofie slid into the plates a moment before the catcher's glove came down on her leg.
The umpire brushed dust off the plates after a strong wind swept across the diamond.
Before the season opened, the crew repainted the plates on all four town fields.
Hiro bought new rubber plates for the little league team from a shop near the stadium.
- home plate
the standard, formal term used in official baseball contexts
- home base
a less common alternative to home plate, used mainly in teaching the game to children
用法筆記
Informal baseball term. In formal or official contexts, use 'home plate' instead.
8. a thin layer of one metal, especially gold or silver, that has been applied to t
a thin layer of one metal, especially gold or silver, that has been applied to the surface of a cheaper metal underneath
The jeweller pointed out where the silver plates on the bracelet had begun to wear away.
collocation: silver/gold plates + wear away
Joaquín's earrings had thin gold plates over a base of copper that showed through in spots.
The factory applied nickel plates to thousands of car parts every single day.
After years of use, the plates on the old cutlery rubbed off, showing grey metal underneath.
Baraka tested the plates with a small magnet to check whether they were real silver or just painted.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 9: this sense refers to the thin layer of precious metal applied to a cheaper metal surface. For tableware made entirely of solid precious metal, see sense 9 (SOLID PRECIOUS METALWARE).
常見錯誤
9. dishes, plates, cups, and other tableware made entirely from precious metals lik
dishes, plates, cups, and other tableware made entirely from precious metals like gold or silver, rather than just coated with a thin layer of them
Emre spent the whole morning polishing the heavy silver plates before the family dinner.
collocation: heavy silver/gold plates for solid tableware
The museum displayed gold plates that once belonged to a queen from the 1700s.
Mira inherited a wooden chest containing twelve gold plates engraved with the family name.
A burglar broke in and stole the silver plates, which were worth more than the television.
At the royal feast, guests ate from gold plates while musicians played in the corner.
- silverware
refers specifically to items made of silver; narrower in material but similar in meaning
- gold plate
can mean either solid gold tableware or gold-plated items, so context is needed
- precious metalware
a more formal, technical term for tableware made of valuable metals
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 8: this sense refers to tableware made entirely of solid precious metal. For the thin layer of metal applied to a cheaper base, see sense 8 (METAL COATING).
常見錯誤
10. the huge, slow-moving pieces of solid rock that form the hard outer layer of the
the huge, slow-moving pieces of solid rock that form the hard outer layer of the Earth and that float on a softer, hotter layer beneath them
The earthquake struck when two plates suddenly slipped past each other far beneath the city.
collocation: tectonic plates + slip/push/grind past each other
Lakshmi built a model for her science project that showed how plates move and form volcanoes.
Over millions of years, these plates have pushed together to create the Himalayan mountain range.
Sirin learned in class that the plates under the Atlantic Ocean are slowly pulling apart.
Scientists use special instruments to measure how fast the plates shift across the Earth's surface.
- tectonic plates
the full scientific term; 'plates' is the everyday short form used in the same meaning
- crustal plates
emphasises that these are segments of the Earth's crust specifically
- lithospheric plates
a more technical term used in geology; includes the crust and upper mantle
常見錯誤
11. a flat dish or soft pouch that is passed from person to person during a church s
a flat dish or soft pouch that is passed from person to person during a church service so that people can place money into it as a donation
The usher moved slowly down the aisle, passing the plates from one person to the next.
collocation: pass the plates + during church service
Shanti slipped a folded note into the plates as they came along her row.
After the service, the deacon emptied the plates and counted the money in the back room.
Femi watched the plates make their way along the crowded pew during the Christmas service.
The church used old brass plates that had been collecting donations for over a hundred years.
- collection plate
the full, formal term; 'plates' alone is understood in a church context
- offering plate
used in some churches to emphasise the act of giving as an offering
- alms dish
an older, more formal term, now mainly found in historical or traditional contexts