license plate

American  

noun

1. a plate or tag, usually of metal, bearing evidence of official registration and permission, as for the use of a motor vehicle.

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license plate British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): numberplate.  a plate mounted on the front and back of a motor vehicle bearing the registration number

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Etymology

Origin of license plate

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

During the trip, Buzzard switched license plates on her rental car and wore wigs in what investigators described as possible attempts to avoid detection.

From Los Angeles Times

Berkeley police used automatic license plate readers to track Alford’s car in the area before and after the burglary.

From Los Angeles Times

“I got their ... license plates on my phone!” a woman yelled to no one in particular.

From Los Angeles Times

The mother is believed to have traveled around 3,000 miles during a four-day road trip replete with bizarre details — including switching license plates and putting her daughter in a wig.

From Los Angeles Times

She’d seen a car like it in the hotel parking lot with a National Guard license plate on the back.

From Salon