Plate  —n. 1 a shallow usu. Circular vessel from which food is eaten or served. B contents of this. 2 similar vessel used for a collection in church etc. 3 (collect.) A utensils of silver, gold, or other metal. B objects of plated metal. 4 piece of metal with a name or inscription for affixing to a door etc. 5 illustration on special paper in a book. 6 thin sheet of metal, glass, etc., coated with a sensitive film for photography. 7 flat thin usu. Rigid sheet of metal etc., often as part of a mechanism. 8 a smooth piece of metal etc. For engraving. B impression from this. 9 a silver or gold cup as a prize for a horse-race etc. B race with this as a prize. 10 a thin piece of plastic material, moulded to the shape of the mouth, on which artificial teeth are mounted. B colloq. Denture. 11 each of several rigid sheets of rock thought to form the earth's outer crust. 12 thin flat organic structure or formation. —v. (-ting) 1 apply a thin coat esp. Of silver, gold, or tin to (another metal). 2 cover (esp. A ship) with plates of metal, for protection.  on a plate colloq. Available with little trouble to the recipient. On one's plate colloq. For one to deal with.  plateful n. (pl. -s). [latin platta from plattus flat]