template

American  

[tem-plit] / ˈtɛm plɪt /

Or templet

noun

1. a pattern, mold, or the like, usually consisting of a thin plate of wood or metal, serving as a gauge or guide in mechanical work.

2. anything that determines or serves as a pattern; a model.

   You can use my notes as a template for employee evaluations.

3. Building Trades. a horizontal piece, as of timber or stone, in a wall, to receive and distribute the pressure of a girder, beam, or the like.

4. Shipbuilding. either of two wedges in each of the temporary blocks forming the support for the keel of a ship while building.

5. Aerial Photogrammetry. any object having lines, slots, or straightedges to represent lines radiating from the center of a photograph, used for graphic triangulation.

6. Genetics. a strand of DNA or RNA that serves as a pattern for the synthesis of a complementary strand of nucleic acid or protein.

7. Computers.

   1. a small sheet or strip of cardboard, plastic, or the like, that fits over a portion of the keyboard and provides ready reference to the keystroke commands of a particular software program.

   2. an electronic file with a predesigned, customized format and structure, as for a fax, letter, or expense report, ready to be filled in.

8. Also called safe.  a marble base for a toilet.

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template British  

/ ˈtɛmplɪt /

noun

1. a gauge or pattern, cut out in wood or metal, used in woodwork, etc, to help shape something accurately

2. a pattern cut out in card or plastic, used in various crafts to reproduce shapes

3. a short beam, made of metal, wood, or stone, that is used to spread a load, as over a doorway

4. biochem the molecular structure of a compound that serves as a pattern for the production of the molecular structure of another specific compound in a reaction

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template Scientific  

/ tĕm′plĭt /

1. A molecule of a nucleic acid, such as DNA, that serves as a pattern for the synthesis of another molecule of a nucleic acid.

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Usage

What does template mean? A template is a pattern, model, or guide for the creation of some kind of project.Template is most commonly used in a general way, but it has many specific meanings depending on the context it is being used in.Example: When creating your résumé, don’t start from scratch—use a template so that you can make sure you format it properly.

Etymology

Origin of template

1670–80; alteration of templet, apparently by falsely etymologizing final syllable as plate ¹

Example Sentences

It is a fitting occasion to recall how George Harrison, railing against Britain’s confiscatory tax regime, unwittingly helped create the template for this market.

From The Wall Street Journal

This amount can be included in the ambiguous “other” line commonly included in budget templates — a line that many people may not use.

From MarketWatch

"And then when they start asking me questions, they start crossing things out, putting other things in. It's like they started with a template or something. This statement was their words, 95% of it."

From BBC

A commercial template for books about embattled people overcoming trauma was established and has dominated publishing—and much of American culture—ever since.

From The Wall Street Journal

The strategy is a template for trading sizzling hot stocks.

From Barron's

Related Words

• arrangement