Plaque - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT plaque /plæk/ /plæk/ IPA guide

Other forms: plaques

A plaque is a sign that memorializes a person or event, such as the plaque on a building noting the person it's named after or the year it was built.

Plaque comes from the French word for "plate," meaning not a dinner plate, but a little brass or tin plate that can be mounted on a wall. If you take a tour of Civil War battlefields, you'll find that historical societies often use plaques to commemorate soldiers or particular events. Plaque is also a hard buildup in the body, like the plaque on your teeth that the dentist likes to scrape off.

Definitions of plaque

noun a memorial made of brass synonyms: brass, memorial tablet see moresee less type of: memorial, monument a structure erected to commemorate persons or events
noun (pathology) a small abnormal patch on or inside the body see moresee less types: amyloid plaque, amyloid protein plaque a plaque consisting of tangles of amyloid protein in nervous tissue (a pathological mark of Alzheimer's disease) arterial plaque a fatty deposit inside an arterial wall; characteristic of atherosclerosis bacterial plaque, dental plaque a film of mucus and bacteria deposited on the teeth that encourages the development of dental caries type of: dapple, fleck, maculation, patch, speckle, spot a small contrasting part of something
noun a soft, sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth

Pronunciation US /plæk/ UK /plæk/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Vocabulary lists containing plaque

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets J.K. Rowling

Harry can't wait to return for his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, until a house elf named Dobby warns him of terrible danger ahead. When students start turning to stone — and Harry is a prime suspect — the boy wizard must figure out what's really going on at Hogwarts.

Unit 4: Powerful Openings view more about the vocabulary list

Fences August Wilson

Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play follows former baseball player Troy Maxson as he tries to find his place in the world and navigate troubled relationships with his wife and son.

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