hot plate

American  

noun

1. a portable appliance for cooking, formerly heated by a gas burner placed underneath it, now heated chiefly by an electrical unit in the appliance.

2. a hot meal, usually consisting of meat, potato, and a vegetable, served all on one plate and usually at a set price at a restaurant or lunch counter.

3. a plate that can retain heat in order to keep food hot.

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Etymology

Origin of hot plate

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Luckily, Hong and his wife have a camper’s electric hot plate that they’ve been able to use in the meantime, and friends have offered up their homes for a break.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 2, 2024

Since flights usually last eight hours, the crew members bring plenty of snack food, and there is a microwave, refrigerator and a hot plate for cooking more elaborate meals.

From Seattle Times • May 10, 2024

It’s faster and prettier than a regular hot plate.

From Slate • Apr. 7, 2024

I cooked ramen on a hot plate in our one working bathroom.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2023

I don’t really want her to stay, but the idea of her going back to our motel room to eat dinner alone from the hot plate makes me feel sad.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy