plaque

See also: Plaque and plaqué

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French plaque, derivative of plaquer (“to plate”), from Middle Dutch placken (“to patch, beat metal into a thin plate”), from placke (“disk, patch, stain”), from Old Dutch *plagga (“patch”), from Proto-Germanic *plaggą (“patch”). Cognate with Middle Low German placke, plagge (“small stain, scraps, rags, thin grass”), German Placken (“spot, patch”), Saterland Frisian plak, plakke (“a blow, slap”), Swedish plagg (“clothing, garment”). See plack.

Pronunciation

Noun

plaque (countable and uncountable, plural plaques)

Plaque (sense 2)
  1. Any flat, thin piece of metal, clay, ivory, or the like, used for ornament, or for painting pictures upon, as a slab, plate, dish, or the like, hung upon a wall; also, a smaller decoration worn on the person, as a brooch.
  2. A piece of flat metal with a writing on it, attached to a building to remind people of a person or an event.
  3. Any flat, thin musical instrument.
    concussion plaques; blown plaques
  4. (uncountable) An accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria on teeth.
  5. (uncountable, medicine) Atheroma, an accumulation in artery walls made up of macrophage cells and debris containing lipids, (cholesterol and fatty acids), calcium, and connective tissue.
    • 2013 July-August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke”, in American Scientist:
      As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time.
  6. (biology) A clearing in a bacterial lawn caused by a virus.

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

See also

French

Etymology

From Middle Dutch placken (“to patch, beat metal into a thin plate”), from placke (“disk, patch, stain”), from *Old Dutch plagga (“patch”), from Proto-Germanic *plaggą (“patch”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /plak/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

plaque f (plural plaques)

  1. sheet, plate (of metal)
  2. slab (of marble)
  3. plaque (bacteria on teeth)
  4. plaque, slab (ornamental)
  5. (casino) chip
  6. (electrics, photography) plate
  7. (geology) plate (especially a tectonic plate)
  8. slab, bar (of e.g. chocolate)
  9. (slang) 10,000 francs
  10. (Cooking; gas, electric) burner (US), ring (Britain)

Derived terms

Verb

plaque

  1. first-person singular present indicative of plaquer
  2. third-person singular present indicative of plaquer
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of plaquer
  4. third-person singular present subjunctive of plaquer
  5. second-person singular imperative of plaquer

Further reading

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