Plate mark

Plate \Plate\, n. [OF. plate a plate of metal, a cuirsas, F.
   plat a plate, a shallow vessel of silver, other metal, or
   earth, fr. plat flat, Gr. ?. See {Place}, n.]
   1. A flat, or nearly flat, piece of metal, the thickness of
      which is small in comparison with the other dimensions; a
      thick sheet of metal; as, a steel plate.
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   2. Metallic armor composed of broad pieces.
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            Mangled . . . through plate and mail. --Milton.
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   3. Domestic vessels and utensils, as flagons, dishes, cups,
      etc., wrought in gold or silver.
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   4. Metallic ware which is plated, in distinction from that
      which is silver or gold throughout.
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   5. A small, shallow, and usually circular, vessel of metal or
      wood, or of earth glazed and baked, from which food is
      eaten at table.
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   6. [Cf. Sp. plata silver.] A piece of money, usually silver
      money. [Obs.] "Realms and islands were as plates dropp'd
      from his pocket." --Shak.
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   7. A piece of metal on which anything is engraved for the
      purpose of being printed; hence, an impression from the
      engraved metal; as, a book illustrated with plates; a
      fashion plate.
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   8. A page of stereotype, electrotype, or the like, for
      printing from; as, publisher's plates.
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   9. That part of an artificial set of teeth which fits to the
      mouth, and holds the teeth in place. It may be of gold,
      platinum, silver, rubber, celluloid, etc.
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   10. (Arch.) A horizontal timber laid upon a wall, or upon
       corbels projecting from a wall, and supporting the ends
       of other timbers; also used specifically of the roof
       plate which supports the ends of the roof trusses or, in
       simple work, the feet of the rafters.
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   11. (Her.) A roundel of silver or tinctured argent.
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   12. (Photog.) A sheet of glass, porcelain, metal, etc., with
       a coating that is sensitive to light.
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   13. A prize giving to the winner in a contest.
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   14. (Baseball) A small five-sided area (enveloping a
       diamond-shaped area one foot square) beside which the
       batter stands and which must be touched by some part of a
       player on completing a run; -- called also {home base},
       or {home plate}.
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   15. One of the thin parts of the bricket of an animal.
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   16. A very light steel racing horsehoe.
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   17. Loosely, a sporting contest for a prize; specif., in
       horse racing, a race for a prize, the contestants not
       making a stake.
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   18. Skins for fur linings of garments, sewed together and
       roughly shaped, but not finally cut or fitted. [Furrier's
       Cant]
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   19. (Hat Making) The fine nap (as of beaver, hare's wool,
       musquash, nutria, or English black wool) on a hat the
       body of which is of an inferior substance.
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   20. a quantity sufficient to fill a plate; a {plateful}; a
       dish containing that quantity; a plate of spaghetti.
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   21. the food and service supplied to a customer at a
       restaurant; as, the turkey dinner is $9 a plate; I'll
       have a plate of spaghetti.
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   22. a flat dish of glass or plastic with a fitted cover, used
       for culturing microorganisms in a laboratory.
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   23. the identification tag required to be displayed on the
       outside of a vehicle; same as {license plate}; -- often
       used in the plural.
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   24. an agenda or schedule of tasks to be performed; I have a
       lot on my plate today. [colloq.]
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   Note: Plate is sometimes used in an adjectival sense or in
         combination, the phrase or compound being in most cases
         of obvious signification; as, plate basket or
         plate-basket, plate rack or plate-rack.
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   {Home plate}. (Baseball) See {Home base}, under {Home}.

   {Plate armor}.
       (a) See {Plate}, n., 2.
       (b) Strong metal plates for protecting war vessels,
           fortifications, and the like.

   {Plate bone}, the shoulder blade, or scapula.

   {Plate girder}, a girder, the web of which is formed of a
      single vertical plate, or of a series of such plates
      riveted together.

   {Plate glass}. See under {Glass}.

   {Plate iron}, wrought iron plates.

   {Plate layer}, a workman who lays down the rails of a railway
      and fixes them to the sleepers or ties.

   {Plate mark}, a special mark or emblematic figure stamped
      upon gold or silver plate, to indicate the place of
      manufacture, the degree of purity, and the like; thus, the
      local mark for London is a lion.

   {Plate paper}, a heavy spongy paper, for printing from
      engraved plates. --Fairholt.

   {Plate press}, a press with a flat carriage and a roller, --
      used for printing from engraved steel or copper plates.

   {Plate printer}, one who prints from engraved plates.

   {Plate printing}, the act or process of printing from an
      engraved plate or plates.

   {Plate tracery}. (Arch.) See under {Tracery}.

   {Plate wheel} (Mech.), a wheel, the rim and hub of which are
      connected by a continuous plate of metal, instead of by
      arms or spokes.
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