plaque

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plaque

  • /plæk/ UK
  • /plɑːk/ UK
  • /plak/ Northern England, Scotland
  • /plæk/ Canada, US
  • [pʰl̥æk] Canada, US
  • /plɐːk/ Australia

Rhymes with -æk, -ɑːk

Where it comes from

Unadapted borrowing from French plaque (“plate, sheet (of metal); slab (of marble); bacteria on teeth”), from French plaquer, Middle French 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”).

The word is 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”). Compare plack.

noun plaques

  1. countable Any flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament, or for painting pictures upon, as a dish, plate, slab, etc., hung upon a wall; also, a smaller decoration worn by a person, such as a brooch.
  2. countable A piece of flat metal with writing on it, attached to a building, monument, or other structure to remind people of a person or an event.
  3. countable A small card representing an amount of money, used for betting in casinos; a sort of gaming chip. But on this June evening when Bond walked through the 'kitchen' into the salle privée, it was with a sensation of confidence and cheerful anticipation that he changed a million francs into plaques of fifty mille and took a seat […]
  4. countable A clearing in a bacterial lawn caused by a virus.
  5. countable In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system: any flat, thin musical instrument. blown plaques
  6. countable A broad patch of abnormal tissue distinguishable from surrounding tissue, especially a broad papule (“inflamed, irritated patch”) on the skin.
  7. countable, uncountable An abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease. amyloid plaque
  8. countable, uncountable An accumulation in artery walls made up of macrophage cells and debris containing lipids, (cholesterol and fatty acids), calcium, and connective tissue; an atheroma. 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 induci
  9. uncountable An accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth, which may develop into dental calculus (tartar).
  10. countable A deposit of beta-amyloid protein occurring in a nerve cell and associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: brass, memorial tablet, board, slab, panel, ledge, medal, pad, wafer, sheet, marker, painting, nameplate, dump, brand, shield

Translations

Every language

noun abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease

Italianoplacca

noun flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament

Españolplaca
中文匾額 /匾额 biǎn'é
DeutschPlakette
Italianoplacca, piastrina
Ελληνικάπλάκα pláka
Русскийбля́шка bljáška, бля́ха bljáxa

noun piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event

Españolplaca conmemorativa
中文紀念碑 /纪念碑 jìniànbēi
Françaisplaque
Italianotarga
Ελληνικάπλακέτα plakéta
Русскиймемориа́льная доска́ memoriálʹnaja doská, табли́чка tablíčka

noun broad patch of abnormal tissue distinguishable from surrounding tissue, especially a broad papule on the skin

Italianochiazza, placca

noun accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth

Españolplaca
中文斑點 /斑点 bāndiǎn, 牙斑 yábān
Françaisplaque
DeutschZahnbelag, Plaque
Italianoplacca
Ελληνικάπλάκα pláka
Русскийзубно́й ка́мень zubnój kámenʹ

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MLA

"plaque." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/plaque. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

APA

plaque. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/plaque

Chicago

"plaque." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/plaque.

BibTeX
@misc{plaque_2026,
  title = {plaque},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/plaque},
  urldate = {2026-11-05}
}