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Glite Dictionary
to silver-plate

to silver-plate

1 6.3
To cover something with a thin layer of silver
  • verb
  • /ˈsɪlvərˌpleɪt/
translation icon : plata
  • An overdressed Black woman reeking of Giorgio and carrying a silver-plated tray with china cups and saucers, a creamer, and a sugar dish came into my view.
  • silver-plated copper

Examples

  • The silver-plated candlestick holders are from her other stepson, Timmy; she puts candles in them, then sets them on the table he helped her refinish last year.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • All right, I silver plated the tip and I'm really happy with it.

  • "It's not even silver-plated and will soon tarnish," she said, and that closed the subject.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • and an antique silver-plated letter opener with a thick leather handle.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • The only remnant of the microphone was a small, silver-plated plug.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • "I could ask anyone now in this line, "Whose French silver-plated toothbrush box with cover is this, being auctioned off to strangers?"

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Seven and one-half inches of polished barrel, silver-plated.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Many items, including silver-plated bolts, copper gaskets, flange hardware, tubes, and gauges, ship the same day as ordered.

    Academic text (1997)

  • I remained in my chair for a while, offering a silver-plated coin to a child who kept peeking her little head out at me from the café door.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • The jeweler can silver-plate your old brooch to restore its shine.

Synonyms

to plate
vsto silver-plate
  • Specialized
37 6.2

To cover an object with a thin layer of metal

is focused on coating with that particular precious metal rather than metals generally
to silver
vsto silver-plate
3 5.6

To cover something with a thin layer of the shiny white metal

is specifically about applying a thin precious-metal layer often by electrical methods
to electroplate
vsto silver-plate
  • Specialized
1 8.0

To cover an object with a thin layer of metal using electricity

is broader and names coating with that particular metal rather than any metal
to silverplate
vsto silver-plate
  • Specialized
7.4

To put a thin layer of silver on an object

is the hyphenated or alternate spelling for the same action
to metallize
vsto silver-plate
  • Specialized
8.4

Cover an object with a thin metal layer for shine or protection

is limited to coating with that specific precious metal rather than metals broadly
to metalize
vsto silver-plate
  • Specialized
8.6

To cover an object with a thin layer of metal

is narrower, referring to coating with that specific precious metal

How Coated

to silver-plate
1 6.3
to plate
  • Specialized
37 6.2
to paint
854 1.0
to coat
105 2.8

Surface Forms

silver-plate infinitive
silver-plated past
silver-plated past participle
silver-plating present participle
silver-plates third person singular

Morphology

silver-plate = silver + plate (transparent) = silver + plate

The verb is directly built from the clear components 'silver' + 'plate' meaning 'to plate with silver', so the relation is straightforward.

Etymology

Silver-plate is made from the common words silver and plate. A plate is a flat dish or thin sheet, so to silver-plate something is to put a thin 'layer' of silver over it, which is why silver-plated items look like real silver but only have a thin silver cover.