noun
plaque
plak
noun
1
A flat piece of metal, stone, or similar material fixed to a wall or monument, usually bearing an inscription that commemorates a person or event.
"A bronze plaque marks the house where the poet was born."
"The team received a plaque for winning the championship."
2
A sticky film of bacteria that builds up on the surface of teeth.
"Brushing twice a day helps remove plaque before it hardens into tartar."
3
A deposit of abnormal material in body tissue, such as fatty deposits in artery walls.
"Plaque buildup in the arteries can restrict blood flow."
How to Use Plaque
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn inscribed metal or stone marker, or a sticky bacterial film on teeth, or a harmful buildup in the body.
Common pairings
memorial plaque
dental plaque
commemorative plaque
arterial plaque
Word Forms
plaques plural
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Etymology
Borrowed from French plaque, "plate, slab," from a Middle Dutch word for a patch or thin sheet of beaten metal.