give someone something on a plate Definition

plate
noun

1. A shallow dish, especially one made of earthenware or porcelain, for serving food on. Also in compounds.

Example: side plate
Example: dinner plate
2a. The amount held by this; a plateful;
2b. A portion served on a plate.
3. A shallow vessel in which to take the collection in church.

Form: collection plate (also)
4. A sheet of metal, glass or other rigid material.
5. A flat piece of metal, plastic, etc inscribed with a name, etc. Often in compounds.

Example: nameplate
Example: bookplate
6. Gold and silver vessels or cutlery.
7a. A gold or silver cup as the prize in a horse race, etc;
7b. A race or contest for such a prize. See also selling plate.
8. A thin coating of gold, silver or tin applied to a base metal. Also called plating.
9. An illustration on glossy paper in a book. Compare bookplate.
10. photog.
A sheet of glass prepared with a light-sensitive coating for receiving an image.
11a. A sheet of metal with an image engraved on it;
11b. A print taken from one of these.
12. Any of various surfaces set up with type ready for printing.
13a. A rigid plastic fitting to which false teeth are attached;
13b. A denture.
14. geol.
Any of the rigid sections that make up the Earth's crust. See also plate tectonics.
15. anatomy.
A thin flat piece of bone or horn.
16. baseball.
A five-sided white slab at the home base.
17. rhyming slang
The feet.
Form: plates
Form: plates of meat (originally)
18. building.
A horizontal supporting timber.

verb plated, plating

1. To coat (a base metal) with a thin layer of a precious one.

Thesaurus: laminate, coat, cover, veneer, gild, overlay, electroplate, galvanize.
2. To cover something with metal plates.

Derivative: plater

See separate entry.

Idiom: have a lot on one's plate (have much on one's plate)

colloq
To have a great deal of work, commitments, etc.

Idiom: hand someone something on a plate (give someone something on a plate)

colloq
To present them with it without their having to make the least effort.

Etymology: 13c: from French plate (feminine) something flat and plat (masculine) dish.