plate
plate — 動詞
- platepresent simple I / you / we / they
- plates3rd person singular
- plating-ing form
- platedpast simple
1. to put a thin outer layer of one metal — usually gold, silver, or chrome — onto
鍍；電鍍
在金屬物品表面覆上一層其他金屬
to put a thin outer layer of one metal — usually gold, silver, or chrome — onto an object made of a cheaper metal, so that the object looks more valuable or resists rust.
The jeweller plated Nina's copper bracelet with silver to hide the dull colour.
珠寶師傅在 Nina 的銅手環外面鍍上一層銀，把暗沉的顏色蓋掉。
plate + with + metal name
The trophy is plated in gold but the inside is just brass.
這個獎盃外面鍍金，但裡面其實只是黃銅。
passive: be plated in [metal]
Mr. Lin plates the steel bumpers with chrome to stop them from rusting.
林先生在鋼製保險桿外面鍍鉻，避免生鏽。
Cheap rings are often plated with a thin layer of gold that wears off in a year.
便宜的戒指通常只鍍了一層薄薄的金，一年內就會磨光。
The factory plates spoons and forks before sending them to the shops.
工廠會先把湯匙和叉子鍍好，才送到店裡販售。
- coat
general — works for paint, wax, or any covering, not just metal
- electroplate
technical — specifically using an electric current to deposit the metal
- gild
narrower — only for covering with gold, often more decorative
- strip
to remove the outer metal layer, e.g. by acid or sanding
文法句型
plate something with something
be plated in/with [metal]
用法筆記
Frequently passive (be plated in/with [metal]), and the object is almost always made of a cheaper or duller metal. Do not confuse with the noun sense for serving food — you cannot 'plate a steak' in this meaning.
常見錯誤
plate — 名詞
- platesingular
- platesplural
1. a round, mostly flat dish with a low rim around the edge that you put your food
盤子；碟子
用來盛裝或盛食物的扁平餐具
a round, mostly flat dish with a low rim around the edge that you put your food on at a meal, or carry food to the table on.
Maya put two slices of pizza on her plate and sat down.
Maya 把兩片披薩放到她的盤子裡，然後坐了下來。
on + possessive + plate
Carlos carried a plate of warm cookies into the living room.
Carlos 端著一盤熱熱的餅乾走進客廳。
a plate of + food noun
The blue plates from grandma's kitchen are very old.
外婆廚房裡那些藍色的盤子年代很久了。
Lina dropped her plate on the tiles and it broke into pieces.
Lina 把盤子掉在磁磚上，盤子摔成了好幾塊。
Please pass me a clean plate from the cupboard.
請從櫃子裡拿一個乾淨的盤子給我。
文法句型
a plate of [food]
on a plate
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the physical dish itself; sense 2 names the food sitting on it.
常見錯誤
2. the food on one plate, thought of as a single helping for one person.
一盤；一份
一個盤子裡裝的食物份量
the food on one plate, thought of as a single helping for one person.
Marcus finished a huge plate of spaghetti in under ten minutes.
Marcus 不到十分鐘就吃完了一大盤義大利麵。
a plate of + food
Aunt Rosa cooked us a plate of dumplings for lunch.
Rosa 阿姨煮了一盤水餃給我們當午餐。
a plate of + plural noun
Two hot plates of curry arrived at our table within minutes.
兩盤熱騰騰的咖哩幾分鐘內就送到我們桌上。
Sam asked the waiter for a smaller plate of salad.
Sam 跟服務生點了一份小一點的沙拉。
The kids shared one plate of fries between three of them.
三個小孩共吃了一盤薯條。
文法句型
a plate of + uncountable food noun
a plate of + plural food noun
用法筆記
Almost always appears with 'a plate of + [food noun]'. Without that pattern, listeners hear the literal dish (sense 1).
常見錯誤
3. a thin, flat slab of a stiff material such as steel, glass, or wood, usually use
板；金屬板
鋼、玻璃等硬質材料的薄平板
a thin, flat slab of a stiff material such as steel, glass, or wood, usually used as a building part or to make something stronger.
Engineers welded a thick steel plate over the hole in the ship's side.
工程師在船身的破洞上焊了一塊厚厚的鋼板。
steel plate as building part
The desk has a glass plate on top to protect the wood.
那張書桌上鋪了一片玻璃板，用來保護木頭。
material + plate
Soldiers wore armour made of small iron plates sewn onto leather.
古代士兵穿的盔甲是把一片片小鐵板縫在皮革上做成的。
Maria tightened the screws holding the metal plate to the door.
Maria 把固定門上金屬板的螺絲鎖緊了。
The bridge rests on huge concrete plates set deep into the river.
那座橋座落在幾塊深埋河中的巨大水泥板上。
文法句型
a plate of [material]
metal/steel/glass plate
用法筆記
Subject-area term in engineering and construction. The material is named just before 'plate' (steel plate, glass plate); without that material word, the dinner sense returns.
4. a heavy, round disc of metal that you slide onto each end of a bar to add weight
槓片；重量片
套在槓鈴兩端用來增加重量的圓盤
a heavy, round disc of metal that you slide onto each end of a bar to add weight when training your muscles in the gym.
Marcus loaded two ten-kilogram plates onto the bar before lifting.
Marcus 在槓鈴上裝了兩片十公斤的槓片，然後開始舉。
load + plates onto + bar
The gym keeps small plates on a low rack near the squat rack.
健身房把小片的槓片放在深蹲架旁邊一個矮架上。
plural; gym setting
Lina added one more plate and managed to lift the bar.
Lina 又加了一片槓片，總算把槓鈴舉了起來。
Always use the spring clips so the plates don't slide off mid-lift.
一定要用彈簧夾，槓片才不會在舉到一半時滑掉。
文法句型
a [weight]-kg plate
load/add plates onto [bar]
用法筆記
Almost always plural in real gym talk, since you load one onto each end. Often paired with a weight in kilograms or pounds (a 5-kg plate).
常見錯誤
5. in baseball, the small five-sided rubber marker that a batter stands beside when
本壘板
棒球場上打擊者站立的橡膠板
in baseball, the small five-sided rubber marker that a batter stands beside when hitting, and which a runner has to touch with one foot so that a run counts for their team.
Marcus stepped up to the plate and gripped his bat tightly.
Marcus 走上本壘板，緊緊握住球棒。
fixed phrase: step up to the plate
Lina slid into the plate just before the catcher tagged her.
Lina 在捕手觸殺她之前滑進本壘板。
slide into the plate
The young pitcher stared at the plate, waiting for the next batter.
年輕的投手盯著本壘板，等待下一位打者上場。
Carlos hit a long fly ball and crossed the plate for the winning run.
Carlos 擊出一支高飛球，跑回本壘板得到致勝分。
The umpire dusted the plate with his small brush between innings.
裁判在每局之間用小刷子清掃本壘板。
- home plate
the full formal term; 'plate' is the everyday short form
- home base
older or casual term for the same spot
文法句型
the plate
用法筆記
Short for 'home plate'. Common in fixed phrases like 'step up to the plate' (literal in baseball, also figurative for taking responsibility) and 'cross the plate' (= score a run).
常見錯誤
6. in a restaurant, a single complete main meal of meat or fish with side dishes, a
套餐；主餐
餐廳一份盛在同一盤的主菜套餐
in a restaurant, a single complete main meal of meat or fish with side dishes, all served together on one dish at a fixed price.
The chicken plate at Joe's Diner comes with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Joe's Diner 的雞肉套餐附馬鈴薯泥和四季豆。
the [name] plate (menu item)
Carlos ordered the grilled fish plate for nine dollars.
Carlos 點了九美元的烤魚套餐。
fish plate
At Marcus's wedding reception, the venue served a salmon plate with roasted potatoes to every guest.
在 Marcus 的婚禮上，會場為每位賓客送上一份附烤馬鈴薯的鮭魚套餐。
The waitress recommended the lunch plate, which changes every weekday.
服務生推薦午間套餐，每個平日都會更換菜色。
The barbecue plate at the food truck includes ribs, slaw, and cornbread.
餐車的烤肉套餐有肋排、涼拌捲心菜和玉米麵包。
文法句型
a plate of [food]
the [name] plate
用法筆記
Common in American restaurant menus, often as 'the [main ingredient] plate' (the chicken plate, the shrimp plate). Refers to the complete priced meal, not just the dish itself or any portion of food on a plate.
常見錯誤
7. one of a pair of rectangular signs, fixed to a car or motorbike at each end, tha
車牌
車輛前後標示號碼的金屬牌
one of a pair of rectangular signs, fixed to a car or motorbike at each end, that shows a unique combination of letters and numbers used by police and authorities to identify the vehicle.
Maya wrote down the plates of the red truck that hit her bicycle.
Maya 把撞到她腳踏車的紅色卡車車牌記了下來。
plural: plates of [vehicle]
Dad bought new plates for the car after we moved to Texas.
我們搬到德州之後，爸爸幫車子換了新車牌。
The thieves had switched the plates to hide the car's real owner.
竊賊把車牌換掉，藉此隱瞞車子真正的主人。
Officer Tan checked the plates and found the van was stolen last week.
Officer Tan 查了車牌，發現那輛廂型車上週被偷了。
Snow had covered the plates, so the camera could not read the numbers.
雪覆蓋住車牌，攝影機沒辦法讀到上面的號碼。
- license plate
the full American term
- number plate
the standard British term
- tag
informal American slang for a license plate
文法句型
plural: plates
license plates
number plates
用法筆記
Almost always plural, since most vehicles carry one at the front and one at the back. In American English usually 'license plates'; in British English 'number plates'. The singular 'plate' alone is rare except when referring to one of the pair.
常見錯誤
8. in printing, a flat sheet of metal that has letters or images cut into its surfa
印版
印刷用、刻有字或圖的金屬平板
in printing, a flat sheet of metal that has letters or images cut into its surface, so a press can stamp many copies of the same image onto paper.
Workers at the print shop cleaned the metal plates between every job.
印刷廠的工人每印完一批就會把金屬印版清乾淨。
plural; printing-shop context
Each colour in the poster needs a separate printing plate.
海報上每一種顏色都需要一片獨立的印版。
one plate per colour
The artist signed every copy printed from the original copper plate.
藝術家在每一張用原始銅版印出來的作品上都簽了名。
The newspaper threw away the old plates after the morning run.
報社印完早報之後，就把舊的印版丟掉了。
文法句型
printing plate
the plates for [a job]
用法筆記
Mainly used in publishing, newspapers, and fine-art printmaking. Often qualified by the material (copper plate, zinc plate) or the colour it carries.
9. a full-page picture, often in colour and printed on better paper than the rest o
圖版；插頁
書中整頁、印在較好紙張上的圖片
a full-page picture, often in colour and printed on better paper than the rest of the book, used in art books, atlases, and old reference works.
The art book has eighty colour plates of paintings from the Renaissance.
這本藝術書收錄了八十張文藝復興時期繪畫的彩色圖版。
colour plates of + topic
Plate seven shows a detailed map of the old city walls.
圖版七是一張舊城牆的詳細地圖。
Plate + number
The professor pointed at a black-and-white plate of a rare butterfly.
教授指著一張罕見蝴蝶的黑白圖版。
Readers can see the artist's early sketches in the plates at the back.
讀者可以在書末的圖版裡看到藝術家早期的素描。
- illustration
any picture in a book, not necessarily full-page or on special paper
- figure
diagram or chart inside the text, usually numbered too
文法句型
see plate [number]
colour plate
用法筆記
Found in book and museum-catalogue writing. Often referred to by number ('see Plate 12') and printed on glossier paper than the surrounding text.
10. a cheap base metal whose surface has been given a very thin outer coating of a m
鍍金屬
在便宜金屬外鍍上一層貴金屬
a cheap base metal whose surface has been given a very thin outer coating of a more valuable metal such as silver or gold, so that jewellery, cutlery, and decorative items look richer than they really are.
Grandma's old teapot is silver plate, not solid silver.
奶奶的舊茶壺是鍍銀的，不是純銀。
silver plate as material
The shop sells cheap rings in gold plate that often turn green over time.
那家店賣便宜的鍍金戒指，戴久了常常會變綠。
gold plate (cheap jewellery)
Maya found a beautiful spoon at the market, but it was only nickel plate.
Maya 在市場找到一支漂亮的湯匙，但只是鍍鎳的。
The trophy looks expensive, though the surface is just thin gold plate.
這座獎盃看起來很貴，但表面只是薄薄一層鍍金。
Most of the cutlery in the hotel was silver plate rather than sterling.
飯店的餐具大多是鍍銀的，而非純銀。
- plating
refers to the coating process or the resulting layer; closely related
- electroplate
specifically a coating applied by an electric current
- solid silver
means made entirely of silver, not just coated
- sterling
high-purity solid silver, contrasted with cheaper plate
文法句型
silver plate
gold plate
nickel plate
用法筆記
Uncountable and usually paired with the coating metal: 'silver plate', 'gold plate', 'nickel plate'. Distinguish from sense 11, which means objects made entirely of solid precious metal, not just coated.
常見錯誤
11. tableware such as bowls, dishes, jugs, and cups that has been made entirely from
金銀器皿
純金或純銀製成的整套餐具
tableware such as bowls, dishes, jugs, and cups that has been made entirely from solid gold or silver, usually owned by wealthy families, churches, or museums.
The old castle museum displays the royal plate behind thick glass.
古堡博物館將皇家金銀器皿陳列在厚玻璃櫃後方。
the royal plate (collection)
Lady Ashford inherited the family plate from her grandmother last spring.
Lady Ashford 去年春天從祖母那裡繼承了家族傳下的銀器。
the family plate
Thieves broke into the cathedral and stole most of the church plate.
小偷闖入大教堂，偷走了大部分的教會銀器。
The dining table was set with heavy silver plate for the king's visit.
為了國王來訪，餐桌上擺了厚重的純銀餐具。
Polishing the family plate took the servants the whole afternoon.
僕人花了一整個下午擦亮家族傳下的銀器。
- silverware
more general everyday term for silver utensils, including non-precious
- hollowware
technical term for hollow silver vessels like bowls and jugs
文法句型
the family plate
church plate
用法筆記
Uncountable, often used with 'the' and a possessor or origin word ('the family plate', 'church plate', 'royal plate'). Distinguish from sense 10: this sense is solid precious metal; sense 10 is only a thin coating over a cheaper base metal.
常見錯誤
12. the shallow open dish that is passed from person to person along the rows of a c
奉獻盤
教會做禮拜時傳遞收奉獻的淺盤
the shallow open dish that is passed from person to person along the rows of a church during a service, so that members of the congregation can put in money as a gift to the church.
Mr Brennan put a five-dollar bill in the plate as it came past his pew.
奉獻盤傳到 Mr Brennan 的長椅旁時，他放進一張五美元紙鈔。
put [money] in the plate
The deacons passed the plate slowly down each row after the sermon.
講道結束後，執事沿著每一排慢慢傳遞奉獻盤。
pass the plate
Sarah whispered to her son to drop the coins gently into the plate.
Sarah 小聲叫兒子把硬幣輕輕放進奉獻盤裡。
Last Sunday's plate raised enough money to repair the broken stained glass.
上週日的奉獻盤收到的錢足以修好破掉的彩繪玻璃。
After the hymn, the young usher carried the plate up to the altar.
唱完詩歌後，年輕的招待員把奉獻盤端到祭壇前。
- collection plate
the full term, used when context is unclear
- offering plate
common in Protestant churches
文法句型
the plate
pass the plate
put [money] in the plate
用法筆記
Almost always singular and used with 'the'. Often appears in fixed expressions like 'pass the plate' (= collect donations) and 'put something in the plate'. By extension, 'the plate' can also mean the total money collected, as in 'last Sunday's plate'.