plaque en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- [pʰl̥æk] (General-American)
- /plæk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /plak/ (Northern-England, Scotland)
- /plæk/ (General-American)
- (General-American) audio
- (Australia) audio
- /plɑːk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /plaːk/ (Australia)
Etymology
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.
Meanings
- (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.
- (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.
-
(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 […]
1953, Ian Fleming, Casino Royale:
- (countable) A clearing in a bacterial lawn caused by a virus.
-
(countable) In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system: any flat, thin musical instrument.
blown plaques
aconcussion plaques
- (countable) A broad patch of abnormal tissue distinguishable from surrounding tissue, especially a broad papule (“inflamed, irritated patch”) on the skin.
-
(countable, uncountable) An abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease.
amyloid plaque
apleural plaque
asenile plaque
-
(countable, uncountable) An abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease. ▸ 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 inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time.
2013 July–August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke: These Devices can Spring into Shape Automatically to Open Arteries Blocked with Plaque”, in American Scientist, New Haven, Conn.: Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 29 May 2017:
- (uncountable) An abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease. ▸ An accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth, which may develop into dental calculus (tartar).
- (countable) An abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease. ▸ A deposit of beta-amyloid protein occurring in a nerve cell and associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| plaques | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
uroplaque · microplaque · intraplaque · plaquette · mucoid plaque · blue plaque · periplaque · plaqueless · megaplaque · plaquelike · nonplaque · plaquing · immunoplaque · antiplaque
Relateds
Translations (77)
es placa (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · fr plaque (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · es placa conmemorativa (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · fi plaketti (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · es placa (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · cmn 紀念碑 /纪念碑 (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · fi plakki (abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease) · ba таҡтаташ (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · it placca (abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease) · mk пло́ча (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · pl płyta (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · nn plakk (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · pl blaszka (abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease) · ru табли́чка (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · sv plack (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · la tabella (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · nb plakett (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · pl grudka (broad patch of abnormal tissue distinguishable from surrounding tissue, especially a broad papule on the skin) · bg па́метна пло́ча (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · de Zahnbelag (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · bg пла̀ка (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · sv minnestavla (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · it placca (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · bg пло́ча (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · bg табèлка (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · da plak (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · nb plakk (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · pl tablica (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · it placca (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · ru бля́шка (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · cs plak (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · cmn 匾額 /匾额 (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · pl płytka (flat, thin musical instrument) · da mindetavle (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · sk plaketa (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · fi plakki (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · hu foglepedék (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · uk зубний ка́мінь (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · pl płytka bakteryjna (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · el πλακέτα (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · de Plakette (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · pl osad nazębny (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · hu lepedék (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · de Plaque (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · fi plakki (broad patch of abnormal tissue distinguishable from surrounding tissue, especially a broad papule on the skin) · nn plakett (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · pl tablica pamiątkowa (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · el πλάκα (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · fi läiskä (broad patch of abnormal tissue distinguishable from surrounding tissue, especially a broad papule on the skin) · fr plaque (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · sv plakett (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · fi muistolaatta (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · is tannsýkla (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · it piastrina (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · mi kitokito (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · pl płytka (clearing in a bacterial lawn caused by a virus) · it chiazza (broad patch of abnormal tissue distinguishable from surrounding tissue, especially a broad papule on the skin) · hu plakk (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · el πλάκα (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · pl płytka nazębna (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · bg възпомена́телна пло́ча (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · sk povlak (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · hu emléktábla (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · it targa (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · ru зубно́й ка́мень (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · bg пла́ка (abnormal accumulation of material in or on an organ of the body, often associated with disease) · fa پلاک (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · cmn 斑點 /斑点 (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth) · ru бля́ха (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · ru мемориа́льная доска́ (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · fi litteä soitin (flat, thin musical instrument) · fi laatta (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · fi levy (flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament) · mk спо́мен-пло́ча (piece of flat metal with writing on it to remind people of a person or event) · it placca (broad patch of abnormal tissue distinguishable from surrounding tissue, especially a broad papule on the skin) · fi plakki (clearing in a bacterial lawn caused by a virus) · cmn 牙斑 (accumulation of biofilm, or bacteria, on teeth)