<B>plateholder, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Photography.) a receptacle impervious to light, for holding a sensitized plate, used for exposing the plate within the camera by the removal of a slide, and for carrying the plate before and after using. <DD><B> 2. </B>a bracket for holding plates and saucers. </DL>
<A NAME="platelayer">
<B>platelayer, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) a person who lays, keeps in order, and replaces the rails on a tramway or railway; tracklayer. </DL>
<A NAME="platelet">
<B>platelet, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>one of many small disks which float in blood plasma and are involved in clotting. It is one of the three cellular elements of blood. <DD><B> 2. </B>a small or minute plate. </DL>
<A NAME="platen">
<B>platen, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a flat metal plate in a printing press, that presses the paper against the inked type so as to secure an impression. <DD><B> 2. </B>a cylinder serving the same purpose. <DD><B> 3. </B>the roller against which the paper rests in a typewriter. <DD><B> 4. </B>a heated plate placed between wood fiber mats to consolidate them into hardboard. </DL>
<A NAME="platepaper">
<B>plate paper,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a heavy, spongy, unsized paper with a smooth, dull finish, used for taking impressions from engraved plates. <DD><B> 2. </B>a similar heavy paper, such as that used for books. <DD><B> 3. </B>a paper finished with a high gloss, as by supercalendering. </DL>
<A NAME="plateproof">
<B>plate proof,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Printing.) a proof taken from an electrotype or stereotype plate. </DL>
<A NAME="plater">
<B>plater, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person or thing that plates. <DD><B> 2. </B>an inferior race horse, especially one that changes owners frequently or may be presumed to be usually for sale; selling-plater. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Obsolete.) a horse that runs mostly in plate races. </DL>
<A NAME="platerace">
<B>plate race,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Especially British.) a horse race with a plate as the prize. </DL>
<A NAME="platerail">
<B>plate rail,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a rail or narrow shelf attached to a wall to hold plates or other ornaments. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=plate </B>(def. 23b). </DL>
<A NAME="plateresque">
<B>plateresque, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> in or resembling a style of architecture, especially of Spain, characterized by rich, excessively ornamented forms suggestive of silver work. </DL>
<A NAME="platetectonics">
<B>plate tectonics,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a theory that the earth's crust is divided into a series of vast, platelike parts that move or drift as distinct land masses; global tectonics. <BR> <I>Ex. Plate tectonics has been adequately tested in other parts of the world and has shown its ability to predict, amongst other things, the direction of the movement accompanying earthquakes (Science Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="platetracery">
<B>plate tracery,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Architecture.) tracery formed by cutting openings through stone, rather than by assembling pieces. </DL>
<A NAME="platform">
<B>platform, </B>noun, adjective, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a raised level surface or structure formed with planks, boards, or the like. <BR> <I>Ex. The speakers stood above the crowd on a platform.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the walk between or beside the tracks of a railroad station. <DD><B> 3. </B>(U.S.) the floor beyond the inside doors at either end of a railroad passenger car; vestibule. <DD><B> 4. </B>a piece of raised flooring, in a hall or in the open air, from which a speaker addresses his audience. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Figurative.) a plan of action or statement of the beliefs of a group. <BR> <I>Ex. The platform of the new political party demands lower taxes. But it is, in a sense, ratified by this far-ranging message which is intended to be a platform for the campaign (Newsweek).</I> (SYN) policy, program. <DD><B> 6. </B>(Figurative.) a draft or scheme of principles or doctrines, made by or on behalf of a religious party, church, or sect. <DD><B> 7. </B>(Figurative.) <DD><B> a. </B>a place of public expression or discussion; forum. <BR> <I>Ex. The United Nations is meant to be ... a platform for the weakest nation (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a place of opportunity; springboard. <BR> <I>Ex. West Point was there to give a man a platform from which to pursue advanced studies (Atlantic).</I> <DD><B> 8a. </B>a slightly raised level area on which a piece of artillery is mounted in a fortification. <DD><B> b. </B>a terrace; flat piece of ground. <BR> <I>Ex. Grove nods at grove, each alley has a brother, And half the platform just reflects the other (Alexander Pope).</I> <DD><B> 9a. </B>a thick outer sole on a woman's, or some men's, shoes. <DD><B> b. </B>a shoe with such a sole; platform shoe. <DD><B> 10. </B>(Aerospace.) a navigation system or radio-signal device to determine location. <DD><B> 11. </B>(Obsolete.) a scheme; design. <DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with a platform used by public speakers. <BR> <I>Ex. platform oratory.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to come to the platform, especially of a railroad station. <BR> <I>Ex. This train does not platform all cars at the smaller rural stations.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="platformcar">
<B>platform car,</B> <B>=flatcar.</B></DL>
<A NAME="platformer">
<B>platformer, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (in petroleum refining) a reformer in which the process of platforming is carried out. </DL>
<A NAME="platforming">
<B>platforming, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the process in petroleum refining using platinum as a catalyst in the presence of hydrogen to raise gasoline octane ratings. </DL>
<A NAME="platformscale">
<B>platform scale,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a flat scale or a platform for weighing heavy bodies without lifting. </DL>
<A NAME="platformshoe">
<B>platform shoe,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a woman's or man's cloglike shoe with a thick outer sole that usually extends solidly the length of the shoe, becoming thicker under the heel. </DL>
<A NAME="platformspider">
<B>platform spider,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a spider which spins a tangled web to catch flying insects and a flat web beneath to catch its falling prey. </DL>
<A NAME="platformtennis">
<B>platform tennis,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a form of paddle tennis played on a wooden platform surrounded by walls of wire netting. <BR> <I>Ex. Platform tennis ... is unique in that it is played primarily in winter (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="platformticket">
<B>platform ticket,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) a ticket permitting a person other than a passenger to enter upon a railroad platform. </DL>
<A NAME="platina">
<B>platina, </B>noun. <B>=platinum.</B></DL>
<A NAME="platinate">
<B>platinate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Chemistry.) a salt of platinic acid. </DL>
<A NAME="plating">
<B>plating, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a thin layer of silver, gold, or other metal. <DD><B> 2. </B>a covering of metal plates. <DD><B> 3. </B>the act of a person or thing that plates. </DL>
<A NAME="platinic">
<B>platinic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Chemistry.) <DD><B> 1. </B>of platinum. <DD><B> 2. </B>containing platinum, especially with a valence of four. </DL>
<A NAME="platiniferous">
<B>platiniferous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> bearing or yielding platinum. </DL>
<A NAME="platiniridium">
<B>platiniridium, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a native alloy of platinum and iridium, occurring in whitish grains or cubes. </DL>
<A NAME="platinize">
<B>platinize, </B>transitive verb, <B>-nized,</B> <B>-nizing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to coat or treat with platinum. </DL>
<A NAME="platinocyanicacid">
<B>platinocyanic acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an acid of platinum and cyanide, formed by the decomposition of its salts in solution. </DL>
<B>platinocyanide, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a salt of platinocyanic acid. </DL>
<A NAME="platinoid">
<B>platinoid, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> resembling platinum. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>any one of a group of metals commonly found in association with platinum and resembling it in several properties, such as palladium, iridium, and osmium. <DD><B> 2. </B>a platinumlike alloy consisting of copper, nickel, zinc, and tungsten, used especially for electrical resistance coils. </DL>
<A NAME="platinotype">
<B>platinotype, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a process of photographic printing using a platinum salt and producing a print in platinum black. <DD><B> 2. </B>a print made by this process. </DL>
<A NAME="platinous">
<B>platinous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Chemistry.) <DD><B> 1. </B>of platinum. <DD><B> 2. </B>containing platinum, especially with a valence of two. </DL>
<A NAME="platinum">
<B>platinum, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a heavy metallic chemical element with a very high melting point. Platinum is a silver-white, precious metal which is resistant to acid and does not tarnish easily. It is ductile and malleable and is used as a catalyst, for chemical and industrial equipment, in dentistry, and for jewelry. <BR> <I>Ex. In the United States, platinum occurs in the gold-bearing deposits in California, Nevada, and Oregon (Albert J. Phillips).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a light-gray color, less bright than silver and having a faint bluish tinge. <DD><I>adj. </I> (U.S. and Canadian.) of or designating a phonograph album that has sold a million copies. <BR> <I>Ex. After only 10 weeks "Whispering Rain" ..., with airplay just beginning, seems a good bet for platinum status (Maclean's).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="platinumblack">
<B>platinum black,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a dull-black powder consisting of very finely divided metallic platinum. It is used as an oxidizing agent because it can condense large amounts of oxygen upon its surface. </DL>
<A NAME="platinumblonde">
<B>platinum blonde</B> or <B>blond,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>silvery blonde. <BR> <I>Ex. platinum blonde hair.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a person, especially a woman, having silvery blonde hair. </DL>
