wall plate

noun

1. Also called raising plate. Building Trades. a horizontal member built into or laid along the top of a wall to support and distribute the pressure from joists, rafters, etc.
2. Machinery. a vertical metal plate secured against a wall, as to attach a bracket.
3. Mining. one of the longer members of a set. Compare end plate.
4. switch plate.

wall plate

noun

1. a horizontal timber member placed along the top of a wall to support the ends of joists, rafters, etc, and distribute the load

Word History and Origins

Origin of wall plate¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

Depending on how your home is laid out, you may also have to deal with what Clayton calls “beauty marks” on the wall—small holes about the size of a single or double wall plate they need to pull wires down.

From Popular-Science

Originally determined by the slat of wood which strengthened the wall-plate at the point of its perforation by the trunnels.

From Project Gutenberg

The continuous fillet which crowns the epistyle, representative of the wall-plate of the original timbered Doric construction.

From Project Gutenberg

Then went to a brass wall plate beside the outer door, inserted the key, and turned.

From Project Gutenberg

Catherine stirred and moaned, and I stopped long enough to take the key out of the wall plate.

From Project Gutenberg

Roof′let, a small roof or covering; Roof′-plate, a wall-plate which receives the lower ends of the rafters of a roof.

From Project Gutenberg