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Synonyms

plateful

American  
[pleyt-fool] / ˈpleɪt fʊl /

noun

platefuls plural
  1. the amount that a plate will hold.

  2. a large portion or quantity.

    a plateful of contracts to negotiate.


Spelling

See -ful.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of plateful

First recorded in 1760–70; plate 1 + -ful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Flag isn’t like the Baxters’ other animals: He can’t pull a plow, track a bear, provide milk, or become a plateful of cracklings.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 23, 2026

So, if you're looking to usher in more luck in 2023, be sure to also enjoy a plateful of lucky foods!

From Salon Dec. 29, 2022

On breaks between shifts, groups of three or four staff members would sneak away to the employee break area to inhale a paper plateful of turkey and casserole and a slice of pumpkin pie.

From New York Times Nov. 27, 2020

“I’ve never told my whole story before,” she said, sitting across from Miles with a plateful of sausage and fried eggs, “only bits of it.”

From The New Yorker Jun. 15, 2018

“No, thanks,” I say in English, and settle next to Baba, who’s got a plateful of fried eggs sprinkled with pepper.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

A cavernous, popular arcade in Brussels which for generations has drawn partiers seeking platefuls of mussels to wash down with that city’s famed brews sadly no longer resounds with late-evening laughter and chatter.

From Washington Times Oct. 24, 2020

There were probably 100 people there, most of them balancing plastic cups of pinot noir and platefuls of gouda and prosciutto and thick, artisanal crackers crammed with nuts or dried fruit.

From The Guardian Mar. 3, 2020

People used to stampede down the halls when it was cookie time and grab handfuls or platefuls instead of taking one.

From Slate Mar. 4, 2019

In his mind, X. says some strongly-worded things about girls as a concept, eats two platefuls of chubby little doughnuts, and succumbs to several hours of moral and physical melancholy.

From The New Yorker Aug. 23, 2018

If my mother had been in the room, she would have told me these poor people were victims of future husbands and wives who had failed to eat platefuls of food.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

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