surface plate

American  

noun

1. Machinery. a flat plate used by machinists for testing surfaces that are to be made perfectly flat.

---

surface plate British  

noun

1. another name for faceplate

---

Etymology

Origin of surface plate

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

surface plate

The author made an experiment upon this point with a very rigid surface plate six feet long, and three cast steel straight-edges 6 feet long, 41⁄2 inches wide, and 1⁄2 inch thick.

From Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II by Rose, Joshua

If any local lesion is visible, sear its exposed surface and with the platinum loop, remove material from the deeper parts to make tube and surface plate cultivations and cover-slip preparations.

From The Elements of Bacteriological Technique A Laboratory Guide for Medical, Dental, and Technical Students. Second Edition Rewritten and Enlarged. by Eyre, J. W. H. (John William Henry)

Make cultivations, tube and surface plate, and cover-slip preparations from this situation.

From The Elements of Bacteriological Technique A Laboratory Guide for Medical, Dental, and Technical Students. Second Edition Rewritten and Enlarged. by Eyre, J. W. H. (John William Henry)

Its weak point was the liability of the surface plate to crack through under fire and become detached from its iron backing.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 6 "Armour Plates" to "Arundel, Earls of" by Various

For testing the truth of flat or plane surfaces the machinist employs the surface plate or planometer.

From Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II by Rose, Joshua