Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter P - Page 75
Plat (v. t.) To form by interlaying interweaving; to braid; to plait. "They had platted a crown of thorns." -- Matt. xxvii. 29.
Plat (n.) Work done by platting or braiding; a plait.
Her hair, nor loose, nor tied in formal plat. -- Shak.
Plat (n.) A small piece or plot of ground laid out with some design, or for a special use; usually, a portion of flat, even ground.
This flowery plat, the sweet recess of Eve. -- Milton.
I keep smooth plat of fruitful ground. -- Tennyson.
Plat (v. t.) To lay out in plats or plots, as ground.
Plat (a.) Plain; flat; level. [Obs.] -- Gower.
Plat (adv.) Plainly; flatly; downright. [Obs.]
But, sir, ye lie, I tell you plat. -- Rom. of R.
Plat (adv.) Flatly; smoothly; evenly. [Obs.] -- Drant.
Plat (n.) The flat or broad side of a sword. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] -- Chaucer.
Plat (n.) A plot; a plan; a design; a diagram; a map; a chart. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] "To note all the islands, and to set them down in plat." -- Hakluyt.
Plat (n.) A map showing planned or actual features of an area (streets and building lots etc.).
Plat (v.) Make a plat of; "Plat the town" [syn: plat, plot].
Plat. () A map of a piece of land, in which are marked the courses and distances of the different lines, and the quantity of land it contains.
Plat. () Such a plat;nay be given in evidence in ascertaining the position of the land, and what is included, and may serve to settle the figure of a survey, and correct mistakes. 5 Monr. 160. See 17 Mass. 211; 5 Greenl. 219; 7 Greenl, 61; 4 Wheat. 444; 14 Mass. 149.
Platan (n.) The plane tree. -- Tennyson.
Platan (n.) Any of several trees of the genus Platanus having thin pale bark that scales off in small plates and lobed leaves and ball-shaped heads of fruits [syn: plane tree, sycamore, platan].
Platanist (n.) (Zool.) The soosoo.
Platanus (n.) (Bot.) A genus of trees; the plane tree.
Platanus (n.) Genus of large monoecious mostly deciduous trees: London plane; sycamore [syn: Platanus, genus Platanus].
Platband (n.) A border of flowers in a garden, along a wall or a parterre; hence, a border.
Platband (n.) (Arch.) A flat molding, or group of moldings, the width of which much exceeds its projection, as the face of an architrave.
Platband (n.) (Arch.) A list or fillet between the flutings of a column.
Plate (n.) 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.
Plate (n.) Metallic armor composed of broad pieces.
Mangled . . . through plate and mail. -- Milton.
Plate (n.) Domestic vessels and utensils, as flagons, dishes, cups, etc., wrought in gold or silver.
Plate (n.) Metallic ware which is plated, in distinction from that which is silver or gold throughout.
Plate (n.) A small, shallow, and usually circular, vessel of metal or wood, or of earth glazed and baked, from which food is eaten at table.
Plate (n.) A piece of money, usually silver money. [Obs.] "Realms and islands were as plates dropp'd from his pocket." -- Shak.
Plate (n.) 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.
Plate (n.) A page of stereotype, electrotype, or the like, for printing from; as, publisher's plates.
Plate (n.) 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.
Plate (n.) (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.
Plate (n.) (Her.) A roundel of silver or tinctured argent.
Plate (n.) (Photog.) A sheet of glass, porcelain, metal, etc., with a coating that is sensitive to light.
Plate (n.) A prize giving to the winner in a contest.
Plate (n.) (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.
Plate (n.) One of the thin parts of the bricket of an animal.
Plate (n.) A very light steel racing horsehoe.
Plate (n.) Loosely, a sporting contest for a prize; specif., in horse racing, a race for a prize, the contestants not making a stake.
Plate (n.) Skins for fur linings of garments, sewed together and roughly shaped, but not finally cut or fitted. [Furrier's Cant]
Plate (n.) (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.
Plate (n.) A quantity sufficient to fill a plate; a plateful; a dish containing that quantity; a plate of spaghetti.
Plate (n.) 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.
Plate (n.) A flat dish of glass or plastic with a fitted cover, used for culturing microorganisms in a laboratory.
Plate (n.) The identification tag required to be displayed on the outside of a vehicle; same as license plate; -- often used in the plural.
Plate (n.) An agenda or schedule of tasks to be performed; I have a lot on my plate today. [colloq.]
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.
Home plate. (Baseball) See Home base, under Home.
Plate armor. (a) See Plate, n., 2.
Plate armor. (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.
Plated (imp. & p. p.) of Plate.
Plating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Plate.
Plate (v. t.) To cover or overlay with gold, silver, or other metals, either by a mechanical process, as hammering, or by a chemical process, as electrotyping.
Plate (v. t.) To cover or overlay with plates of metal; to arm with metal for defense.
Thus plated in habiliments of war. -- Shak.
Plate (v. t.) To adorn with plated metal; as, a plated harness.
Plate (v. t.) To beat into thin, flat pieces, or laminae.
Plate (v. t.) To calender; as, to plate paper.
Plate (n.) (Baseball) Base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score; "he ruled that the runner failed to touch home" [syn: home plate, home base, home, plate].
Plate (n.) A sheet of metal or wood or glass or plastic.
Plate (n.) A full-page illustration (usually on slick paper).
Plate (n.) Dish on which food is served or from which food is eaten.
Plate (n.) The quantity contained in a plate [syn: plate, plateful].
Plate (n.) A rigid layer of the Earth's crust that is believed to drift slowly [syn: plate, crustal plate].
Plate (n.) The thin under portion of the forequarter.
Plate (n.) A main course served on a plate; "a vegetable plate"; "the blue plate special."
Plate (n.) Any flat platelike body structure or part.
Plate (n.) The positively charged electrode in a vacuum tube.
Plate (n.) A flat sheet of metal or glass on which a photographic image can be recorded [syn: plate, photographic plate].
Plate (n.) Structural member consisting of a horizontal beam that provides bearing and anchorage.
Plate (n.) A shallow receptacle for collection in church [syn: plate, collection plate].
Plate (n.) A metal sheathing of uniform thickness (such as the shield attached to an artillery piece to protect the gunners) [syn: plate, scale, shell].
Plate (n.) A dental appliance that artificially replaces missing teeth [syn: denture, dental plate, plate].
Plate (v.) Coat with a layer of metal; "plate spoons with silver."
Plateaux (n. pl. ) of Plateau.
Plateaus (n. pl. ) of Plateau.
Plateau (n.) A flat surface; especially, a broad, level, elevated area of land; a table-land.
Plateau (n.) An ornamental dish for the table; a tray or salver.
Platefuls (n. pl. ) of Plateful.
Plateful (n.) Enough to fill a plate; as much as a plate will hold.
Plate-gilled (a.) Having flat, or leaflike, gills, as the bivalve mollusks.
Platel (n.) A small dish.
Platen (n.) The part of a printing press which presses the paper against the type and by which the impression is made.
Platen (n.) Hence, an analogous part of a typewriter, on which the paper rests to receive an impression.
Platen (n.) The movable table of a machine tool, as a planer, on which the work is fastened, and presented to the action of the tool; -- also called table.
Plater (n.) One who plates or coats articles with gold or silver; as, a silver plater.
Plater (n.) A machine for calendering paper.
Plateresque (a.) Resembling silver plate; -- said of certain architectural ornaments.
Platetrope (n.) One of a pair of a paired organs.
Platform (n.) A plat; a plan; a sketch; a model; a pattern. Used also figuratively.
Platform (n.) A place laid out after a model.
Platform (n.) Any flat or horizontal surface; especially, one that is raised above some particular level, as a framework of timber or boards horizontally joined so as to form a roof, or a raised floor, or portion of a floor; a landing; a dais; a stage, for speakers, performers, or workmen; a standing place.
Platform (n.) A declaration of the principles upon which a person, a sect, or a party proposes to stand; a declared policy or system; as, the Saybrook platform; a political platform.
Platform (n.) A light deck, usually placed in a section of the hold or over the floor of the magazine. See Orlop.
Platform (v. t.) To place on a platform.
Platform (v. t.) To form a plan of; to model; to lay out.
Plathelminth (n.) One of the Platyelminthes.
Plathelminthes (n. pl.) Same as Platyelminthes.
Platin (n.) See Platen.
Platina (n.) Platinum.
Plating (n.) The art or process of covering anything with a plate or plates, or with metal, particularly of overlaying a base or dull metal with a thin plate of precious or bright metal, as by mechanical means or by electro-magnetic deposition.
Plating (n.) A thin coating of metal laid upon another metal.
Plating (n.) A coating or defensive armor of metal (usually steel) plates.
Platinic (a.) Of, pertaining to, or containing, platinum; -- used specifically to designate those compounds in which the element has a higher valence, as contrasted with the platinous compounds; as, platinic chloride (PtCl4).
Platinichloric (a.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, an acid consisting of platinic chloride and hydrochloric acid, and obtained as a brownish red crystalline substance, called platinichloric, or chloroplatinic, acid.
Platiniferous (a.) Yielding platinum; as, platiniferous sand.
Platiniridium (n.) A natural alloy of platinum and iridium occurring in grayish metallic rounded or cubical grains with platinum.
Platinized (imp. & p. p.) of Platinize.
Platinizing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Platinize.
Platinize (v. t.) To cover or combine with platinum.
Platinochloric (a.) (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, an acid consisting of platinous chloride and hydrochloric acid, called platinochloric acid, or chloroplatinous, acid.
Platinochloride (n.) A double chloride of platinum and some other metal or radical; a salt of platinochloric acid.
Platinocyanic (a.) Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, an acid compound of platinous cyanide and hydrocyanic acid. It is obtained as a cinnaber-red crystalline substance.
Platinocyanide (n.) A double cyanide of platinum and some other metal or radical; a salt of platinocyanic acid.
Platinode (n.) A cathode.
Platinoid (a.) Resembling platinum.
Platinoid (n.) An alloy of German silver containing tungsten; -- used for forming electrical resistance coils and standards.
Platinotype (n.) A permanent photographic picture or print in platinum black.
Platinotype (n.) The process by which such pictures are produced.
Platinous (a.) Of, pertaining to, or containing, platinum; -- used specifically to designate those compounds in which the element has a lower valence, as contrasted with the platinic compounds; as, platinous chloride (PtCl2).
Platinum (n.) A metallic element, intermediate in value between silver and gold, occurring native or alloyed with other metals, also as the platinum arsenide (sperrylite). It is heavy tin-white metal which is ductile and malleable, but very infusible, and characterized by its resistance to strong chemical reagents. It is used for crucibles, for stills for sulphuric acid, rarely for coin, and in the form of foil and wire for many purposes. Specific gravity 21.5. Atomic weight 194.3. Symbol Pt. Formerly called platina.
Platitude (n.) The quality or state of being flat, thin, or insipid; flat commonness; triteness; staleness of ideas of language.
Platitude (n.) A thought or remark which is flat, dull, trite, or weak; a truism; a commonplace.
Platitude (n.) [ C ] (Disapproving) A remark or statement that may be true but is boring and has no meaning because it has been said so many times before.
// He doesn't mouth platitudes about it not mattering who scores as long as the team wins.
Platitudinarian (n.) One addicted to uttering platitudes, or stale and insipid truisms.
Platitudinize (v. i.) To utter platitudes or truisms.
Platitudinous (a.) Abounding in platitudes; of the nature of platitudes; uttering platitudes.
Platly (a.) Flatly. See Plat, a.
Platness (n.) Flatness. [Obs.] -- Palsgrave.
Platometer (n.) See Planimeter. Platonic
Platonic (a.) Alt. of Platonical.
Platonical (a.) Of or pertaining to Plato, or his philosophy, school, or opinions.
Platonical (a.) Pure, passionless; nonsexual; philosophical.
Platonic bodies, The five regular geometrical solids; namely, the tetrahedron, hexahedron or cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron.
Platonic love, A pure, spiritual affection, subsisting between persons of opposite sex, unmixed with carnal desires, and regarding the mind only and its excellences; -- a species of love for which Plato was a warm advocate.
Platonic year (Astron.), A period of time determined by the revolution of the equinoxes, or the space of time in which the stars and constellations return to their former places in respect to the equinoxes; -- called also great year.
This revolution, which is caused by the precession of the equinoxes, is accomplished in about 26,000 years. -- Barlow.
Platonic (n.) A follower of Plato; a Platonist.
Platonic (a.) Of or relating to or characteristic of Plato or his philosophy; "Platonic dialogues."
Platonic (a.) Free from physical desire; "platonic love."
Platonic (a.) Pertaining to the philosophy of Socrates.
Platonic Love is a fool's name for the affection between a disability and a frost.
Platonically (adv.) In a Platonic manner.
Platonism (n.) The doctrines or philosophy by Plato or of his followers.
Note: Plato believed God to be an infinitely wise, just, and powerful Spirit; and also that he formed the visible universe out of pre["e]xistent amorphous matter, according to perfect patterns of ideas eternally existent in his own mind. Philosophy he considered as being a knowledge of the true nature of things, as discoverable in those eternal ideas after which all things were fashioned. In other words, it is the knowledge of what is eternal, exists necessarily, and is unchangeable; not of the temporary, the dependent, and changeable; and of course it is not obtained through the senses; neither is it the product of the understanding, which concerns itself only with the variable and transitory; nor is it the result of experience and observation; but it is the product of our reason, which, as partaking of the divine nature, has innate ideas resembling the eternal ideas of God. By contemplating these innate ideas, reasoning about them, and comparing them with their copies in the visible universe, reason can attain that true knowledge of things which is called philosophy. Plato's professed followers, the Academics, and the New Platonists, differed considerably from him, yet are called Platonists. -- Murdock.
Platonism (n.) An elevated rational and ethical conception of the laws and forces of the universe; sometimes, imaginative or fantastic philosophical notions.
Platonism (n.) (Philosophy) The philosophical doctrine that abstract concepts exist independent of their names [syn: Platonism, realism].
Platonist (n.) One who adheres to the philosophy of Plato; a follower of Plato. -- Hammond.
Platonist (n.) An advocate of Platonism.
Platonized (imp. & p. p.) of Platonize.
Platonizing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Platonize.