Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of plate
"We need to wash all the plates from dinner before we can clear the table."
In plain English: Plates are flat dishes you put food on when eating.
"We stacked the clean plates in the cupboard after dinner."
Usage: Use plates to refer to multiple flat dishes used for serving food at a meal. Do not confuse this with the singular form or use it to mean metal sheets unless specifically discussing tableware.
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of plate
"The chef plates each dish with care before serving it to the guests."
In plain English: To plate something means to cover it with a thin layer of metal, usually for decoration or protection.
"The waiter plates each dish with care before serving it to the customers."
Usage: Do not use "plates" to mean serving food; instead, use the verb "plate." The word "plates" as a verb specifically means to cover something with a layer of metal or other material.
Plates derives from Old French plate, meaning flat, which comes from Latin platus (flat). The term originally referred to anything flattened or spread out before extending to metal sheets and dishes.