metal plating
- noun
- Specialized
- The artist used metal plating to give the sculpture a shiny finish.
Examples
-
The car's bumper features a metal plating that enhances its overall appearance.
-
The process is similar to the electrolysis used in metal plating, but electrowinning emphasizes metal recovery rather than plating quality.
Academic text (1994) -
For added durability, the outdoor furniture is covered with metal plating.
Synonyms
A layer of material that covers a surface to protect or decorate it
A thin layer of metal that covers an object to protect it or make it look better
To coat an object with a thin layer of metal using electricity
A thin layer of gold put on the surface of another material for decoration or protection
A thin layer of gold or metal that looks like gold on a surface for decoration
A thin metal layer put on a surface to make it conduct electricity or look shiny
A thin layer of silver that covers another material to decorate or protect it
Putting a thin layer of tin on metal to stop rust and make it look better
Covering metal with a thin layer of tin or solder to protect it and help join parts
How Thick
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is fully compositional: 'plating' denotes a thin applied layer or the process of applying a layer, and 'metal' specifies the material of that layer, so together they denote a thin metal layer on a surface. This straightforward noun–noun composition is common cross-linguistically and follows expected lexical combining patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand the meaning.
Etymology
Metal plating comes from the image of putting a thin layer of metal over an object, which is the action called plating, like giving it a shiny 'coat' or 'skin'. That's why it means a thin metal layer added to 'protect' or 'decorate' something.