gold plate
1
3.9
- noun
:
plato de oro
- And do we need it served on gold plates or by a waiter dressed in a certain way?
Examples
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The sun glinted off the gold plate, trim, and handles, giving the impression that Rukbat itself was honoring the gallant woman and causing the throng to gasp in awe.
Fiction book (1991) -
They've got a gold plate with their name on it on the table, and they throw you stank looks like you're interrupting them.
Blog text (2) -
Some cover them with fine gold plate, so that such a sabre sometimes comes to be worth more than 6 ounces of gold.
Academic text (1994) -
The chef served the gourmet meal on exquisite gold plates that sparkled in the candlelight.
-
At the banquet, guests admired the fine gold plates used for serving appetizers and desserts.
-
For the wedding reception, elegant gold plates adorned each table, adding a touch of luxury to the event.
How Gilded
1
3.9
- Specialized
1
4.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently compositional: combining 'gold' (the metal) with 'plate' (a flat sheet or panel) yields a plate made of or coated with gold, which a learner who knows both words can readily infer. This noun–noun combination follows common descriptive patterns found across languages, so the intended decorative/protective sense is predictable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Gold plate comes from the simple image of a metal plate covered with a very thin sheet of real gold so it looks rich. That's why the term refers to dishes or other objects made from cheaper metal but coated with a thin layer of gold.