plate crossword clue – All Crossword Answers
Welcome to Crosswordanswer.co.uk! If you're tackling the clue "plate crossword clue" and need a helping hand, you've come to the right place. We've compiled all possible answers, complete with explanations and tips, to help you solve your puzzle with ease.
Solutions for "plate crossword clue" by Letter Count
4 Letters
DISH: A flat vessel used to serve or hold food.
TRAY: A flat, shallow container, typically for carrying food or small articles.
ETCH: To engrave a design on a plate with acid.
HOME: In baseball, the fourth base, often referred to as home plate.
SLAB: A thick, flat piece of stone, wood, or other solid material.
FOIL: A very thin sheet of metal, often aluminum, used as a type of plate.
5 Letters
ARMOR: Protective covering, often in the form of metal plates.
SHEET: A thin, flat piece of metal, glass, or other material, resembling a plate.
PRINT: To produce an image or text on a surface, often using a printing plate.
ANODE: An electrode, often a metal plate, where oxidation occurs.
6 Letters
RECORD: A flat disc on which music or sound is recorded, often called a 'vinyl plate'.
7 Letters
LICENSE: A vehicle's identifying plate.
More About "plate crossword clue"
"Plate" is a wonderfully versatile word for crossword setters, which explains why it often appears with a wide array of possible answers. Its primary meaning relates to a flat dish used for food, giving us answers like DISH or TRAY. However, the term extends far beyond the dining table. It can refer to a flat piece of metal used for protection, such as ARMOR, or a thin piece of material, like a SHEET of metal or a FOIL wrapper.
Beyond its physical forms, "plate" also delves into specialized contexts. In sports, particularly baseball, "home plate" is a crucial element, leading to HOME as an answer. Geologically, it refers to tectonic plates, though this is less common in typical crossword clues. Industrially, a printing plate can be used to PRINT images, and a LICENSE plate is a common sight on vehicles. The word can even act as a verb, meaning to coat something with a thin layer of metal, as in to ETCH a design onto a surface.
Understanding these multiple facets of "plate" is key to mastering such crossword clues. Always consider the context provided by the rest of the clue, and don't be afraid to think outside the most common definitions to uncover the correct solution.
Tips For Your Next Puzzle
- Consider All Meanings: For words like "plate," which have many definitions, list out every possible meaning you can think of (e.g., dish, armor, verb to coat, tectonic, baseball part). This widens your pool of potential answers.
- Analyze the Clue's Part of Speech: Is "plate" used as a noun, verb, or even an adjective in the clue? This will significantly narrow down the type of answer you're looking for. For example, "To plate with gold" points to a verb.
- Look at Intersecting Letters: If you have already filled in some letters from intersecting words, use them as strong hints. The correct "plate" answer must fit perfectly with the letters you already have.
- Think of Homonyms/Homographs: Sometimes, a clue might play on words that sound alike or are spelled the same but have different meanings. While "plate" isn't a strong homonym candidate, always be aware of such tricks.
For more advice, visit our page on general crossword strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does "plate" have so many different crossword answers?
The word "plate" is highly polysemous, meaning it has multiple distinct meanings. In crosswords, setters leverage this to create challenging clues that could refer to a dinnerware item, a piece of armor, a geological formation, a printing surface, a baseball term, or even a verb for coating. This versatility makes it a common and often tricky clue.
How can I distinguish between "plate" as a noun and a verb in a crossword?
Look closely at the clue's phrasing. If it suggests an action (e.g., "Coat with metal," "Serve," "Engrave"), it likely refers to "plate" as a verb (e.g., COAT, ETCH, SERVE). If it describes an object (e.g., "Dish," "Armor piece," "Baseball base"), it's likely a noun (e.g., DISH, ARMOR, HOME). The context and surrounding words in the clue are key.
What's a common trick with "plate" clues in crosswords?
A common trick is using an obscure or less common meaning of "plate." For example, rather than the obvious "DISH," the clue might hint at "HOME" (as in home plate in baseball), "GEAR" (as in a component in machinery), or even "SHEET" (as in a metal sheet). Always consider all possible meanings, including specialized and archaic ones, and think about the letter count.