L-plate

7.9

A square sign with the letter L on a car showing the driver is learning

noun
/ˈel pleɪt/

: placa L

The instructor reminded her to display an L-plate on her car while she learned to drive.

So I will no longer be needing my L plates on my car.

Examples

So I will no longer be needing my L plates on my car.

Jack Edwards
Even royalty must use L plates.

Princes of the Palace - The Royal British Family (2016)
That's an L-plate.

Offender (2012)
As a new driver, he proudly attached an L-plate to the front and back of his vehicle.
To indicate that she was still learning, Julia made sure her car had visible L-plates.

Surface Forms

L-plate singular

L-plates plural

Morphology

L-plate = L + plate (transparent) = L + plate

Formed by combining the letter 'L' (as a visible symbol) with 'plate' to mean a plate displaying the letter L; the meaning is directly inferable from its parts.

Etymology

L-plate comes from the letter L, short for 'learner', and the word plate, meaning a flat sign like a license plate. So an L-plate is a sign put on a car to show the driver is learning.