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Glite Dictionary
numberplate

numberplate

2.4
A flat plate on a car or other vehicle that shows its registration number
  • noun
  • /ˈnʌmbərˌpleɪt/
  • UK
translation icon : matrícula
  • The car's numberplate was dirty and difficult to read.

Examples

  • She reported the stolen vehicle by giving the police its numberplate.

  • European numberplates often look different from those in the United States.

  • The numberplate was covered in mud after the trip.

  • I need to clean my numberplate before the inspection.

  • She reported the stolen vehicle by giving the police its numberplate.

  • The car's numberplate was dirty and difficult to read.

  • I need to clean my numberplate before the inspection.

Synonyms

license plate
vsnumberplate
  • US
124 1.6

A plate on vehicles like cars that shows the registration number

is the same but emphasizes being fixed to both front and back of vehicles
matricula
vsnumberplate
9.9

A number on a car's license plate that identifies the vehicle

is the general term for such plates without regional restriction

Surface Forms

numberplate singular
numberplates plural

Morphology

numberplate = number + plate (transparent) = number + plate

A straightforward compound of 'number' + 'plate' whose meaning (a plate showing a vehicle's registration number) is directly derived from its parts.

Etymology

The word numberplate comes from two simple English words, number and plate, where number means the car's identifying 'number' and plate means a flat 'plate' of metal. So a numberplate is literally a flat metal plate that shows a vehicle's 'registration number', which is why we use it to identify cars; in American English the same item is often called a 'license plate'.