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• gold plate
  gold plate

  noun

  tableware or containers made of gold.
• gold-plate
  gold-plate

  verb (used with object)

  to coat (base metal) with gold, especially by electroplating.

gold plate

¹ American  

noun

gold plates plural

1. tableware or containers made of gold.

2. a plating, especially electroplating, of gold.

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gold-plate ² American  

[gohld-pleyt] / ˈgoʊldˈpleɪt /

verb (used with object)

gold-plated, gold-plating

1. to coat (base metal) with gold, especially by electroplating.

2. to incorporate costly features or refinements into (something) unnecessarily.

   The engineers were accused of gold-plating the construction project.

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gold plate ¹ British  

noun

1. a thin coating of gold, usually produced by electroplating

2. vessels or utensils made of gold

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gold-plate ² British  

verb

1. (tr) to coat (other metal) with gold, usually by electroplating

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gold plates
  plural

Example Sentences

That set off a fresh attempt to gold plate banking standards for the second time in a generation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Fountain, ballpoint and rollerball pens are available — finished in 24-carat gold plate, rhodium, titanium, sterling silver and gunmetal.

From Washington Times • Nov. 13, 2023

Both pieces are available in recycled brass, sterling silver and gold plate.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2022

Inside was a blue globe of the Earth displaying the continents in gold plate.

From New York Times • May 6, 2015

"The purse is just a taste, my friend. My brother wears armor of solid gold plate."

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin