Middle English Dictionary Entry

plā̆t(e n.
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Entry Info

Forms plā̆t(e n. Also plait(e, plete; pl. plates, etc. & plaithes & (chiefly early) platen.
Etymology OF plate & ML plata.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) A flat piece of metal or other substance; esp. a sheet of metal, a metal plate or disk; (b) ~ of bras (coper, gold, iren, led, silver); ~ of lether (ston, tre); iren ~, an iron plate; also coll. [quot.: a1460]; (c) a metal plate used in connection with a hearth or fireplace, ?used to retain and slowly radiate heat; fir ~, a metal plate heated at the fireplace and used to warm something; (d) a metal plate bearing an inscription; a memorial plate on or in a tomb; (e) a thin metal plate used as an ornamental covering for a book cover, paxboard, etc.; also, a decorative silver plate on a wooden drinking vessel; (f) a small piece of metal, often of gold or silver, used ornamentally on clothing or on a horse's trappings; (g) astron. the metal disk forming the face of an equatorie of the planets; any of the variously formed flat plates comprising an astrolabe; (h) a metal strip at the rim of a disk or wheel; (i) ~ lok, ?a lock mounted on an iron plate.
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2.
(a) Gold or silver foil, gold leaf; a thin sheet of precious metal, gold or silver plate; ~ werkes, works covered with gold or silver plate or foil; golden ~, silver ~; (b) as adj.: ?made of silver; ?covered with silver, silver-plated.
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3.
(a) Plate armor worn by a knight or by a foot soldier; esp. in the early period: an iron or a steel plate used to reinforce chain mail; later, a breastplate and backplate combination, a cuirass; also, a piece of armor; also, armor composed of overlapping plates; (b) paire (of) plates, a set of breast- and backplates; ~ and (or, nor, ne) maille, maille and ~, ~ and brinie, ~ and hauberk; (c) gloves of (de) ~, gloves de plates, iron gauntlets; (d) pl. plate armor, a suit of armor; also, armor for a horse; also fig.; (e) the breast-plate of the ephod of a Jewish high priest; (f) ~ makere, a maker of plate armor; also, as surname; ~ man, a maker of, or dealer in, plate armor.
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4a.
A gold or silver coin; ~ of gold (silver), gold (golden) ~, silver (silveren) ~; plates of moneie (penies), money, coins; penies and ~, coins, pieces of silver.
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4b.
(a) Works of silver or gold, such as chalices, beakers, platters, and the like; in ~, in the form of (gold or silver) dishes, etc.; ~ or masse, gold or silver plate or bullion; (b) a platter or a dish of silver, gold, or pewter; spice ~, q.v.; (c) in surname.
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5.
Cook. Sugarplate, a disk-shaped sugar confection; sugre ~; gingivere (spice) ~, sugarplate flavored with ginger or other spices.
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6.
Her. A roundel or plain disk as a heraldic charge.
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7.
Arch. A horizontal beam at the top of the lateral walls of a house upon which the bottom end of the rafters rests, a wall plate; ~ of the rof.
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Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. plate.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. plate of brass.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. plate of iron.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. plate of lead.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. plate of leather.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. plate of silver.

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