platter

[plat-er]

noun

1. a large, shallow dish, usually elliptical in shape, for holding and serving food, especially meat or fish.

2. a course of a meal, usually consisting of a variety of foods served on the same plate.

3. Slang.,  a phonograph record.

4. Computers.,  a hard disk, the rigid circular plate that rotates on a spindle within a hard disk drive, for data encoding and retrieval.

5. Movie Slang.,  a part of a motion-picture projector, consisting of a large, horizontally rotating disk that houses a feature film.

platter

/ ˈplætə /

noun

1. a large shallow usually oval dish or plate, used for serving food

2. a course of a meal, usually consisting of several different foods served on the same plate

   a seafood platter

Word History and Origins

Origin of platter¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English plater, from Anglo-French, derivative of plat “dish”; plate ¹, -er ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of platter¹

C14: from Anglo-Norman plater, from plat dish, from Old French plat flat; see _plate

Idioms and Phrases

see under hand to on a silver platter.

Example Sentences

“Everything’s kind of handed to you on a silver platter, but it’s just a matter of taking advantage of all those opportunities,” says Kalinoski.

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Sandwiched between laborers, he noshed on a cheeseburger as caterers circled the area with platters of hot dogs and steamed lobster.

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My late grandmother, in particular, had a predictable, beloved spread: shrimp cocktail with horseradish-laced sauce; the supermarket veggie platter with ranch; crockpot meatballs simmered in barbecue sauce and grape jelly; salsa with Tostito’s scoops.

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But if you’re taking food to go, their sushi platters can feed a crowd and are delicious.

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As someone who tends to get a little skittish about communal chip bowls or dip platters, the individual chips bags are really appealing.

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Related Words

• disc 
• dish 
• disk 
• tray