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Glite Dictionary
plate iron

plate iron

5.4
Flat sheets of iron used to make or strengthen buildings and ships
  • noun
translation icon : hierro en placas
  • The bridge was constructed using thick plate iron for added strength.

Examples

  • Replacement of the old roof required several sheets of plate iron.

  • Early steamships relied on plate iron to reinforce their hulls.

  • The contractor ordered several sheets of plate iron for the new building.

  • We need to buy plate iron for the construction project.

  • The contractor ordered several sheets of plate iron for the new building.

  • Early steamships relied on plate iron to reinforce their hulls.

  • The bridge was constructed using thick plate iron for added strength.

Synonyms

steel plate
vsplate iron
5 3.0

A flat piece of steel used to make or strengthen buildings and machines

is the same flat metal concept but refers to a more basic metal material
sheet iron
vsplate iron
  • Specialized
4.8

A thin flat metal made by rolling or hammering used for roofs and building parts

is the broader term for flat metal used in heavier construction parts
tank iron
vsplate iron
  • Specialized
9.9

A strong metal plate used to make tanks and other containers

is the general term for flat metal used in construction and manufacturing
stovepipe iron
vsplate iron
  • Archaic
9.9

A thin sheet of metal used to make stovepipes and small chimneys

is the broader flat metal term that includes thicker and thinner varieties

How Thick

slab
87 3.3
plate iron
5.4
sheet metal
  • Specialized
9 3.4
foil
94 2.8

Surface Forms

plate iron singular
plate irons plural

Morphology

plate + iron

The meaning 'iron rolled or forged into flat plates' is directly and compositionally derived from 'plate' (a flat sheet) modifying 'iron' (the metal), i.e. iron in plate/sheet form. This is a regular noun–noun compound pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Plate iron comes from the simple idea of plate (a flat piece) and iron (the metal); imagine a blacksmith hammering or rolling metal into wide, flat sheets. That's why the term means 'iron made into flat sheets' used for building and strong parts of ships and bridges.