Plates Meaning in English
word · lemma: plate
Definition
Plural of plate. A plate is usually a flat dish used for serving or eating food, but it can also mean a flat piece of metal or another material, or the number sign on a vehicle.
Usage & Nuances
The most common meaning is dishes for food: 'dinner plates', 'paper plates'. In other contexts, it can mean technical flat pieces like 'metal plates' or 'tectonic plates', and 'license plates' for cars. Don't confuse it with food itself in expressions like 'a plate of pasta', where 'plate' is the container, not the meal.
Example Sentences
Please put the plates on the table.
basic
We need more plates for the party.
basic
The car had dirty plates.
basic
Can you grab a couple of clean plates from the kitchen?
natural
All the paper plates bent when we loaded them with food.
natural
The police checked the plates before letting the truck through.
natural