footplate

American  

[foot-pleyt] / ˈfʊtˌpleɪt /

noun

1. Carpentry. a plate running beneath and supporting a row of studs; mudsill.

2. a platform or special floor area on which workers stand to operate a machine.

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footplate British  

/ ˈfʊtˌpleɪt /

noun

1. 1. a platform in the cab of a locomotive on which the crew stand to operate the controls

   2. ( as modifier )

      a footplate man

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Etymology

Origin of footplate

First recorded in 1840–50; foot + plate ¹

Example Sentences

The footplate of the locomotive, which serves as the connector between the frame and drawbar and needs to withstand massive forces, was littered with cracks and replaced with a stronger version.

From Washington Times • Feb. 20, 2016

"I did a lot of trips on the footplate and shovelled a lot of coal. "There was a lot of interest, even back then.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2016

When she reaches the top and begins to disembark, she steps onto a metal footplate covering the machinery.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 27, 2015

When sound strikes the ear drum, the movement is transferred to the footplate of the stapes, which attaches to the oval window and presses into one of the fluid-filled ducts of the cochlea.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

But again the corner of the footplate jammed with the corner of the truck, and again we came to a jarring halt.

From London to Ladysmith via Pretoria by Churchill, Winston