silver-plate
/ˌsɪlvə ˈpleɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌsɪlvər ˈpleɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌsɪl.və ˈpleɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌsɪl.vɚ ˈpleɪt/ (ame, ipa)
silver-plate — noun
1. a base metal whose outside has been given a very fine coat of silver.
a base metal whose outside has been given a very fine coat of silver.
The old mirror frame is silver-plate, so it shines without costing too much.
predicative use: be silver-plate
Hamza bought a lamp made of silver-plate for the dining room.
made of + silver-plate
The workshop uses silver-plate on cheap brass to make the handles look richer.
At the museum, one tray proved to be silver-plate under the black polish.
- plated metal
broader term for any metal given an outer coat of another metal
- electroplate
more technical and often refers to the process or result of electrical plating
- solid silver
made fully from silver rather than only coated with it
文法句型
be made of silver-plate
use silver-plate on [base metal]
用法筆記
This sense names the material itself, often after be made of or use. When you mean the finished forks, trays, or serving pieces, use sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. forks, trays, teapots, and similar household things made from that silver-coated
forks, trays, teapots, and similar household things made from that silver-coated metal.
For weddings, the hotel sets out silver-plate instead of solid silver.
collective noun for serving ware
Justin wrapped the family silver-plate before the movers arrived in the morning.
the silver-plate as a household collection
After dinner, Élise polished the silver-plate until every spoon reflected the candlelight.
The estate sale included silver-plate from a grand hotel near the station.
- silverware
more common in everyday English, but may also include solid silver items
- table silver
more formal and usually refers to dining items such as forks and serving dishes
文法句型
polish the silver-plate
pack the silver-plate
用法筆記
Usually refers to cutlery or serving pieces as a group, especially in homes, hotels, and antique sales. Sense 1 refers to the coated metal itself.
常見錯誤
silver-plate — adjective
1. covered on the outside with a light coat of silver.
covered on the outside with a light coat of silver.
Shanti chose a silver-plate frame because solid silver was too expensive.
silver-plate + noun
The shop displayed silver-plate cutlery beside the crystal glasses.
attributive use with household nouns
Asher served tea from a silver-plate pot on the sideboard.
A silver-plate handle caught the light above the dark wood door.
- silver-plated
the more usual modern adjective for the same idea
- silver-coated
clear and neutral, often used in technical descriptions
文法句型
silver-plate + noun
用法筆記
Used mainly before nouns such as frame, handle, cutlery, and pot. In modern everyday English, silver-plated is much more common than this shorter adjective.